DanganRonpa Love Live!: Melody of Despair
by UngentlemanlyConduct
Summary: When ordinary schoolgirl Chika Takami is invited to the extraordinary Hope's Peak Academy, she is excited to attend and find her own way to shine - even if she doesn't know the reason she was invited. But when she arrives, an enigmatic bear named Monokuma has the school locked down and forces her and her classmates to kill each other if they want to escape.
1. Prologue: Part 1

**PROLOGUE: NEW WORLD OF DESPAIR**

* * *

Uchiura seems like a million miles away from this city, with tower blocks, offices and apartments sprawled in every which way you look. If you didn't know where you were going, it would be easy to get lost here - if it weren't for a set of newer looking buildings near the city centre. A new, grand building, to raise hope for a bright future.

Which is where I'm going.

Most people at this time were either waking up or getting ready to leave for the day, so the streets were relatively quiet. I tried walking for a bit, knowing there was no real rush, but I was just too thrilled about this place and soon I broke into a small jog. Soon I found myself in the city centre and sooner still, I stood before a huge iron gate. A gate that would take me to the new building. My new school.

Hope's Peak Academy.  
The ultimate academy.

A government-funded school that takes the very best students across the country, and, if what I heard about it is right, graduating here sets you up for a life of success. But not just anyone can get to come here - in fact, there's only one way you can come here. You have to be a high school student, and you have to be the very best at what you do. Those students are often called 'Ultimates' - the best, the pinnacle of humanity.

Which is why I'm here. In front of the huge gates of Hope's Peak. I was accepted into this wonderful school.

Oh, wait, have I even introduced myself? Heh, sorry. I kinda got carried away there.

My name's Chika. Chika Takami. To be honest with you, I don't know why the school invited me here. I've never really stood out before in anything. I have average grades, went to an average school and did everything a normal person does. I have hobbies, but nothing that really catches anyone's interest. I get excited about things and give up on them when I get bored.  
In fact, the only interesting thing about me is that my family has an inn back home.

I'm just... incredibly normal. The most normal person around. The normal monster, Chika Takami. That's me. Eh heh heh.

…

I guess, compared to some of the other students that come here, I'm nothing special. I mean, how could I compare to someone who's been super talented their whole life?  
Even with some of the research that I did last night, to try and find someone like me coming to Hope's Peak, I couldn't really find anyone. Everyone that got invited here is someone truly incredible.

There was Nico Yazawa, the self-described Ultimate Idol. She's been drifting from one group to another around the country, but every group she's been a part of went on to become a huge success, even after she left. Natural charisma, a cheery personality… she's everything an idol should be - a brand of herself.

Umi Sonoda, the heiress to the highly respected Sonoda Dojo in Tokyo. She's well respected in the fields of martial arts and traditional dance, which the dojo teaches, but her true talent lies in archery. Her determination, as well as her focus and steady hands, means she's gone about… 400 rounds without losing, if I remember right. Apparently, she's set to join the Olympic team in the next games.

I couldn't find out about everyone attending this school, but they were all so amazing it defied all beliefs I had. There was a popular fashion designer, a talented businesswoman, a famed expert on all literature… I couldn't find anyone as normal as me.

Compared to all of these Ultimates, do I really deserve to be here? Am I really special? Compared to everyone else who will be here, why am I here?

No. Don't think like that.  
I deserve to be here. I have talent, potential. After all, why else would they invite me here?

Actually…  
My invitation here _was_ a little different.

Remember when I said that everyone who enrols here gets an 'Ultimate' title based on their talent? Nico would get the Ultimate Idol title, and Umi would be the Ultimate Archer.  
Well, in my invitation letter, the Ultimate title I received was:

'Ultimate ?'

I didn't get recognised for having a specific talent. Just, a talent. A talent I don't know about. A talent that even _they_ don't know about.  
Does this mean… I really don't have a talent?  
That I'm not extraordinary?

No...

I may not be extraordinary, but... I want to prove it. I want to prove that I belong here, among the best students in the country.  
I want to prove that I have a talent that can change the world.  
I want to prove that I can do anything anyone throws at me.

_I want to shine. I want to shine in my own way._

Before I started thinking negatively again, I moved my feet past the iron gates, onto the grounds of Hope's Peak Academy and found myself in the entrance hall. There was no one around yet.

"Hello?" I called out. "Anyone here?"

Nothing. I checked my phone, which said the time was roughly 7 o'clock. Maybe I was far too early to the welcoming event, so there would be no one around to meet me. Deciding that someone would eventually come by and take me to where I needed to be, I waited.

5 minutes passed.  
10 minutes.  
And then...

My head started throbbing, and my legs felt like jelly. It was like someone was bashing my head with a hammer. My vision began swirling around. I couldn't focus. Everything I saw melted into everything else and became twisted before becoming whole again.

I tried calling for help, but my voice... it was barely there. I tried moving, hoping to find someone, but tripped up under my own feet. I couldn't get up, my pounding head struggling to understand what was happening. It didn't take long for me to black out after that.

...

What?  
What's going on?  
Why is this happening?

Before, today felt like a dream.  
Now it feels like a nightmare.

A nightmare that was just beginning.

* * *

_..._

_'Ugh'_

I felt myself waking up.

_'...Urrrrgh.'_

My head still ached, and my body still felt heavy, but all things considered, I felt a lot better than I did earlier. Slowly, I started to open my eyes, hoping that - despite being in the entrance hall - no one saw me pass out. The last thing I needed was for someone to see me collapse on my first day at a new school!

I wasn't that lucky.

There was no one around but I certainly wasn't in the entrance hall. In fact, it felt more like my bedroom back home. Someone likely found me and brought me here, to rest up.

"Where... am I?" I asked no one in particular. It was probably a dormitory room if the bed was any clue.

Knowing my request wouldn't get an answer, I forced myself to sit up somewhat and looked around, trying to get an idea of where I woke up. Firstly, the bed I was lying on. Aside from the orange prints on the sheets, it seemed fairly ordinary, and when I looked left there seemed to be a small dresser. Like the bed it was plain, but I noticed a tablet lying on top of the surface. Maybe this will tell me where I am.

Moving over to the edge of the bed (and finding a door right ahead of me), I took the tablet and turned it on, hoping for some clue. The screen flared into life, a dull blue light forming on the display. Soon enough, white text formed along the emblem of Hope's Peak, and the tablet came to a menu of sorts.

The Hope's Peak emblem...

_'So this is... Hope's Peak Academy...'_

I was really here.  
This is where the best of the best come.

But, if this _is_ Hope's Peak, then whoever brought me here should still be around right? To make sure I was OK after waking up.

'Maybe they had to do something important?' It was a guess at best.

...

'I better check the tablet.'

**_eHandbook - Chika Takami - 07:50 am_**  
_Contacts_  
_Messages **(1)**_  
_Map_  
_Regulations_  
_Documents_  
_Settings_

It looked exactly like a list of applications on a normal phone - a contact list and messages (there was one unread message), a notes section, a map... but most noticeable was the name the eHandbook - this tablet - bore.

_Chika Takami_

This is my eHandbook. My guide to this school.

...

As pleased as I was, there were bigger worries that I had. I decided to check the message that was sent. Hopefully, this would explain what was happening, or at least give something useful.

_From: Headmaster_  
_To: Takami, Chika_

_RE: Welcoming Ceremony _

_Hey Chika! The next semester is about to begin! Make sure you get to the Gym by 8 o'clock sharp for our welcoming ceremony! We can't wait for you to join our school community!_

_The Headmaster_

So, the Hope's Peak welcoming ceremony starts at 8 sharp, and it's currently... 7:50, according to the eHandbook's clock.

Nothing about why I passed out or ended up in this dorm room.

I was hoping there'd be more answers here, but here... there are more questions for me to add to the list. This is Hope's Peak Academy, but where exactly am I in the school? Where's the Gym? There's no map around here as far as I can see, except on the eHandbook. Who is the Headmaster? They should have said in the message, instead of leaving it out. Why is…  
Why is the writing so _childish?_ If this was written by the Headmaster, as the sender line says, then it should look better, right? This whole thing was getting weirder by the second.

I back out to the menu and try to check the other apps, hoping for answers and clues, but it seemed as though there was a lock on them stopping me from checking them. The notes section was open, but there was nothing there.  
The only useful clue I had gotten from the eHandbook was a badly proofread message telling me to go to the Gym.

Disappointed, I turned on the Sleep Mode and put the tablet in my pocket - when a new, disturbing thought came to my head. My pockets were empty. But they shouldn't be. After all, my phone was in there…

_My phone! My phone is gone!_

A wave of panic rose up, making my head start to throb again. I didn't want to pass out again - _'That would __be embarrassing' - _so I took some deep breaths and came up with some scenarios as to where my phone went. There wasn't one that came up which was likely, but it did calm me down.

I took another look around the bed, to see if I missed anything of interest, but no. This bland room had no more clues around here.

"Well, sitting here's not gonna do any good." I try to motivate myself into standing, and, still a little shaky, I get myself up.

_'I've got to get to the Gym, wherever that is. Maybe there'll be someone there who understands what's going on.'_

I took a step towards the door in front of me - hopefully the way out of this room - but found myself in a small bathroom. Like the rest of the dormitory I've seen, there was nothing out of the ordinary here, a shower unit, toilet and sink the only occupants. Closing the door, I went to my left and into the main space of the dormitory, embracing the rest of its plainness. A small counter rested near the corner and a table and set of chairs on the far side of the room, near another door, this one coming with a keyhole. 'Hopefully, this one leads out of this room.'

Smiling at the thought, I made my way across the room towards the door and tried to open it, but it refused to budge. With the door locked, I looked around for a key, noticing another gift waiting for me on the table - a key with a chain attached, and on the chain...

_C. Takami_

This seemed to be my dormitory then, and the key should work the lock on the door. My own dormitory. In Hope's Peak Academy. I should be happier but... right now, I'm too confused about the situation to be happy. I took one last look around this room, this blank, ordinary dorm room - and found something that was utterly abnormal.

A camera, near the counter. And a monitor hung on the nearby wall.

Sure, the monitor made sense. You could be sitting at the table and watch something on there, but the camera... what was the camera for?

Security? Impossible. There'd be no way to get in without using the key or being invited in.  
Monitoring? But... I'd have to agree to be watched in my own room. And I haven't agreed to anything here yet! I mean, I got here today - and I passed out when I got through the front door!  
Maybe... no. Surely no, but...

Maybe, there's a creep on the other end who's enjoying me question everything around me, watching me struggle to come up with a way to understand why I'm here, in these strange circumstances.

This dormitory felt cold now, uncomfortable. I just wanted to get out of this room as fast as I could. Questions swam through my head as I fiddled with the key, trying to unlock the door so I could find someone and get the answers I needed. A click and a twist later, and I swung the door open, got out of that room and locked it up. I took a breath and tried to calm myself before I took in where I was.

It was a corridor of sorts, and along the walls were sets of doors all identical to the one to the dorm room I was in. Looking at my door now, there was a wooden plate with a crude image of me on it, as well as a _C. Takami_ etched below it.  
_'Yep, definitely my dorm.'_ I thought. _'And all these other doors could be for the other students. But what about the rest of this corridor?'_

To my left, the corridor ended with a huge set of red, velvet doors - it seemed important, but with everything else going on, I couldn't really care about it. The doors to my right were made of glass, and led to a more open area, like a foyer.

A foyer... there might be someone there! Excited as I was to find a clue, that camera in the dorm left me with a sense of dread, and another look around the corridor showed another, almost above me. This one was more likely to be for security, but I decided to take it slow and calmly headed towards the glass doors - when a door by my side crashed open and a figure burst out of the room.

"Yes, that's the door opened!" The person spoke, in an enthusiastic way that contrasted my current mood. "Now I gotta find someone who can… HEEEEEEEY!"

Before I could react they ran up to me and caught me in an equally enthusiastic hug. I was so stunned by this, I almost fell over - with so many questions and concerns around how can anyone be this happy and excited in this situation?! I couldn't even bring up a reply to this new person before they began talking again.

"You're a new student here right? Same as me! I'm Honoka Kousaka. It's suuuper nice to meet you! I bet we're gonna be great friends! Heck, we even look alike!"

**[HONOKA KOUSAKA: Ultimate Friend]**

I could only a manage a weak "Huh?" in reply as the person - Honoka, her name was - stepped back from the hug and smiled in an almost sweet fashion.

It was startling, going from confusion and anxiety to a cheerful and positive force, but the change was certainly welcome. Getting a proper look at the person who brought this change, it was pretty clear that she looked like literal sunshine.

She had ginger hair that was tied up into a side tail, with blue eyes that spoke of a clear sunny day. Her smile certainly was sweet, and even her posture gave the impression of someone bursting with energy. She wasn't lying about us looking similar either - we were about the same height and build.

Deciding to give a proper reply to her energetic introduction, I composed myself and tried to show as much energy as Honoka. "Um… it's nice to meet you too, Honoka. My name's Chika Takami."

I failed horribly. It didn't seem to bother her though.

"Hehehe, don't worry so much Chika, I won't hurt you. Besides, If you worry too much you'll get sick! That's what my mom always said. Anyway, d'you know where we are? Or where anyone else is?"

"Um… this seems to be a dormitory area if the rooms are anything to go by. As for where the others are, I can't answer that, but according to my eHandbook there's a Welcoming Ceremony in the Gym at 8 so that would be a good place to start."

"Thanks, Chika... wait, you said something about an eHandbook?"

"Yeah, there was one on my dresser by the bed. Did you not get one?"

Honoka paused. "Umm…"

She began to say something else, before running back into a room labelled as _H. Kousaka__._ I began to wonder if she didn't actually get an eHandbook like I did, before I heard a loud "Found it!" and reappeared in front of me, still bounding with energy. "Now, let's get to the Gym and find the others!" Honoka shouted, dragging me off towards the glass doors - not even bothering to check the device.

She never lets _anything _get her down.

I decided to try and get some small talk on as we headed off, but Honoka beat me to it, asking why I was so anxious.

"Well…" I started, "I got here this morning around seven, then I fainted, despite being fine this morning. The next thing I know, I'm in a strange room with no one around and told to go to the gym, like it's the most normal thing in the world." Saying it out loud only made me realise how _not_ normal this whole thing was, and made me even more anxious.

"Really?" Honoka asked. I nodded, and her reply sent a new wave of confusion and worry to my head. "Me too. I mean, I ran all the way here I was so excited, so I guess I was just exhausted, but if you fainted too then it's certainly weird."

I stopped.

She fainted when she got here too? Why? Sure, she probably collapsed from exhaustion, but two people fainting when they got here? It's impossible.

I was lost once again in worrying thoughts and whirling questions when Honoka shook me out of it.

"Chika, stop worrying so much! You're gonna end up fainting again!" She seemed to be encouraging, but how can she be so laid back at the same time? "C'mon, let's go!"

Taking my hand, we kept on moving and got to the glass doors. With a good push we opened them up and found ourselves in a wide open foyer, but before I could look around…

_*ding, dong, ding, dong*_

Was that the school bell?

Before I could think of an answer, Honoka pointed towards a monitor on the wall behind us which had lit up with the school emblem. It seemed as though there _was_ going to be an announcement of sorts, so I tried to pay attention to it.

"Attention, attention. Testing, testing, one, two, one, two. Can you hear me? This is a test of the school's broadcasting system."

The voice to the announcement was certainly… disturbing. The tone and manner of speaking were inviting and relaxed, but the words always ended with a hint of terror - and it sent a chill down my spine.

"On behalf of everyone here at Hope's Peak Academy, I would like to welcome our new students to the school! The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting veeeery shortly, so please make your way to the Gym as soon as you can! Upupupu, I'll see you sooooon! ~"

The screen went dark again.

Before I could begin to panic again, that dubious voice ringing in my head, I was once more dragged off, and I could guess that Honoka had found the Gym. I adjusted myself and, yes, the open doors we were heading to lead to our goal and hopefully the answers to the questions in my head. We were soon out of the foyer and found ourselves on the wooden floors of the gym, where several others were talking amongst themselves.

"Hey, you guyyyyyyyyys!" Honoka pronounced loudly. The talk stopped, and soon all the eyes in the room were on them, the new arrivals. She sure had a lot of energy.

I tried to hide my embarrassment at being one of the last few to arrive, but there was no stopping the gingerhead who was with me. "Are you students here too? Just like us! I'm Honoka Kousaka, and this," she grabbed my arm, "is Chika Takami. It's super nice to meet you all!" She gave them her beaming smile once she finished her introduction, and I tried to once again muster the same energy she had to greet everyone.

"Hey, we're sorry we're late. I'm Chika Takami. It's nice to meet you."

Once again, I failed horribly.

I tried to get more talk going to break the silence that followed, but a tall, raven-haired girl moved towards us, with a calm yet commanding aura. Behind her was a smaller girl with soft red hair done up in pigtails, hiding behind the other and looking almost scared. I assumed that the two must be sisters, and the older of the two spoke.

"It is nice to meet you too, Chika, Honoka. My name is Dia Kurosawa, and this is my sister, Ruby." She nodded towards the redhead.

**[DIA KUROSAWA: Ultimate Big Sister]**

"You are not late, the ceremony hasn't started yet. However," Her gaze turned harshly upon us "you are the last to arrive. We have been waiting for you. Please make sure you arrive punctually in the future." She finished speaking and walked back to where she was before we arrived.

"Um…" the younger sister started, clearly nervous, "i-it's nice to meet you too…" She tried to smile after her introduction, before following her sister back.

**[RUBY KUROSAWA: Ultimate Music Fan]**

Honoka and I looked towards each other, her face looking as though she was just told off. To be fair, it did feel like we were told off. We both gave a small laugh - probably the first time since I woke up here - and headed towards the main group. I finally felt all my anxiety begin to unwind as I tried to strike up some talk with the others, maybe get to know some of their names. Before I could though, the speakers buzzed up and a voice - the same cheerful yet cold voice from the earlier announcement - began to ring out across.

"Ah, is everyone here now? Great! Then let's get this Welcoming Ceremony started!"

Any chatter that formed died out as the lights across the Gym dimmed and focused on the stage. A screen dropped down from above and the emblem of Hope's Peak Academy was projected onto it. A podium began to rise from the floorboards, and on that podium was everything you would expect. Hope's Peak's emblem, a couple of microphones… nothing that seemed out of the ordinary.

Maybe this was just a normal Welcoming Ceremony.

Maybe… I was just worrying over nothing.

"See, Chika, there's nothing to worry about!" Honoka whispered to me. She was right, but…

No, she's right. Everything's fine. This was all just an unfortunate series of events.

Taking a deep breath, I finally unwound and watched as the Welcoming Ceremony got underway.


	2. Prologue: Part 2

"Hope's Peak Academy can certainly be called the most prestigious school in all of Japan." The mysterious voice talked over the video, which showed pictures of the school and its facilities. "Its founder, the great Izuru Kamukura, had a vision - bring together the ultimate students from all walks of life. Together, they would form the next great hope of our country. It is a vision that he, and every Headmaster after, has never strayed from."

The video once again changed and began to show portraits of what looked to be Izuru Kamukura and previous students of the school.

"Some of them have become leaders in industries, making breakthroughs that have improved the lives of everyone. Some have become legendary detectives and historians, with great strides towards understanding our past and futures being made. And while some of those may not have made history, they have made successes of themselves, and that success fuels the hope that comes from this school."

The video changed once more and showed portraits of the incoming students - us.

"The past may be behind us, but it has led us here, to you. You, the next great hope of our country. You may be young now, but at the end of your time here it is my great belief that you will become as successful and as legendary as the other graduates here. I believe that you will help fulfil Izuru Kamukura's vision, and spread a new, great hope."

The video ended with the Hope's Peak emblem shining once more on the screen, and we all burst into applause.

"Harasho," a voice spoke from my left.  
"Amazing!" Another from my right.  
"We're gonna be famous!" Honoka proclaimed, a little too loudly.

I couldn't help but smile. All the tension I felt a few minutes ago had gone. There was no room for doubt, or concern, or fear. Only excitement, joy, and hope. Hope for a great life here.  
We all settled again, and the voice took this as a cue to begin speaking again.

"I do that speech every year and it still brings a tear to my eye…" it said, "but! That's all in the past! We live here, in the now, and now it's time for me to introduce myself!"

The stage lights - and our attention - focused fully on the podium now, when the most unexpected thing happened.  
A small bolt of black and white erupted from the stage floor and a bear with a pudgy belly landed right on the podium. Before anyone could even react to this, it got back up and did a small bow - as if it were the most normal thing in the world to do.

_'Was this bear the voice that's been speaking to us?'_ That thought allowed the worry that I had buried before the ceremony to creep back up again.

"Well, my name is Monokuma, and I…" the voice - the bear - spoke, "am this school's Headmaster. It's truly a pleasure to meet you all."

**[MONOKUMA: Headmaster]**

_'Monokuma…'_

That voice, that chilling, terrifying voice…

That was our Headmaster.

That worry I felt creep back in exploded into a full-on fear. A fear of this bear, this… Monokuma, a fear of what it could do, will do. And with more of my focus on this new threat, my fear grew even more. The white side looked cute and innocent enough, but the black side sported a sinister smile and a deep, red eye which spread malice where it gazed.

Honoka, however, was not as worried as I was. In fact, she seemed quite excited. _'She always seems to be excited,'_ I thought.

"Whoa, our Headmaster's a teddy bear?! That's awesome!"  
"It looks really cute, but…" Ruby muttered just loud enough for me to hear, "it's really scary as well."  
"But why's a teddy bear our Headmaster?" A third student asked.  
"Maybe it's some kind of toy robot, nya~" A fourth added.

"Firstly, I am not a teddy bear," Monokuma replied. "I am Monokuma. And I am the Headmaster because I was the most… koalified... candidate."

Small bursts of laughter rung, albeit nervously.

"And to answer that last question… you're right! I am a robot. But not one of those cheap toys you can get from the high street! My AI and control systems put even NASA to shame!"

At this comment, a small, hazel-haired student gave a sound that almost sounded like amazement. To be honest, I couldn't blame them.

"Now, any more questions about me?" No one spoke up. "Excellent! Then, let's move forward with the Welcoming Ceremony. We're behind already and if we get pushed back any further it's gonna cause big problems for today's schedule!"

"So let's begin with what your school lives here will entail. As it has already been said, you all are the hope of our country - and hope like this is to be carefully nurtured and cared for, away from any and all influences that can damage it. To that end, you will all live a communal life entirely within the confines of the Academy, living together in peace, honing your talents and of course following the rules and regulations in place.  
"And as for the end date of this communal life… well, there is none!"

I didn't even finish processing what Monokuma had just said before my thoughts - and those of the other students - came out of my mouth.  
"WHAAAATT?! We have to stay here forever?!"

The others turned to me with looks of fear and confusion, of the reality of Monokuma's words that was now settling in.

"That's right!" The bear lost none of his sweet tones. "You guys are going to stay here until the day you die. And before you start to worry about food and water, don't! We have a very extensive budget - we're government funded after all! You should be veeeeeeeeery comfortable here."

The fears that had come when I first stepped foot into the school were starting to become very real, despite Honoka's reassurances. Even the ginger, who I thought was unstoppable in her excitement and joy, was taken aback by this.

"And you can forget about the outside world - to protect the hope that you represent I've taken the liberty of sealing this place off! You won't need to worry about anything going on out there."

...

This is…  
This is all so much...

We're all trapped here, in this school I dreamed about, and we can't get out.  
We can't get out...  
We can't talk to anyone outside...

I… I may never see my family again…  
I may never talk to them again...

Why?  
Why this?

No…  
I don't believe it.  
I won't believe it!  
"I WON'T ACCEPT THIS!"

Once again my thoughts had tumbled out of my mouth, surprising everyone in the room - including myself.  
And Monokuma's dark gaze from that dark, red eye had focused entirely on me. His look was puzzled, but the eye was anything but.

"Hmm? Do you have a problem with what I said?"

"Of course I do! You want us to stay here for the rest of our LIVES. To forget that our friends, our families, even exist. And you EXPECT us to be OK with that?!"

The bear took my words in, with almost a calming demeanour. As though he expected them.

"Of course I do! After all, didn't you - all of you - agree to this when you chose to attend Hope's Peak?"

"That's not…" I stopped.

Damn, the bear's right. I got so excited when I received my acceptance letter that I didn't read anything about what the life here would entail.

"Chika is right." Dia spoke up, using the harsh tone she used earlier towards Monokuma. When I looked her way, Ruby was clinging to her sister's arm, sticking as close as she could - she was clearly scared.  
"Do you really expect us to spend the rest of our lives here? We all have people we care about, do you expect us to forget about them just like that? Do you expect to close the door on ALL our futures?! With no way out?!"

The other students were starting to break out of their fear and uncertainty, turning against the bear. They wanted to get out of this school, this prison, to see their families and loved ones. Monokuma himself was not happy about this. I could sense that he was frustrated - this was our first day, in the middle of the Welcoming Ceremony, and we all wanted out of here. But I also got the sense that he was prepared for this reaction.

It turned out I was right. After shouting everyone down the bear suddenly announced that there was a way to leave the school. "It's very simple really. All you have to do is graduate!"

"And how, exactly, do we graduate? A blue-haired student, who stayed calm despite everything that's been said so far, asked.

"That's a good question, and it has a veeery good answer."  
I wasn't going to like this.

"As I have said earlier, you communal life here in this school will be shared together, and I expect that said communal life will come to a sense of harmony. A harmony that will bring hope to the nation. Now, let's say that a student somehow manages to disrupt said harmony. If that were to happen, then that student would be allowed to graduate and leave the school! Simple as that."

It sounded simple, but-

"Hey, Mr Monokuma?" Honoka's voice burst out, not in the reckless enthusiasm I expected from her, but in curiosity. "When you say we have to 'disrupt the harmony' to graduate… what do you mean by that?"

Monokuma thought about his answer.

"Well, if a student were to commit murder, then that would certainly qualify."

Yep. I wasn't going to like it.

* * *

When I came to Hope's Peak Academy this morning, I was excited. I was going to become someone special. To make amazing friends. To _shine._

So far, though, I collapsed in the entrance hall, lost my phone and found out that we've been trapped here, cut off from the world - and with no way out.

No. There was a way out. But…

It was horrible.  
It was something out of a nightmare.

_'If we wanted to get out…'_  
"We have to... k-kill someone?" There was no use trying to hide the terror in my voice.

"That's right! It's as simple as that! If you want to leave you just have to kill your classmates!"  
Monokuma made it sound so simple, but the truth is…  
It was anything but simple.

"You can stab 'em, bash 'em, burn 'em, crush 'em! Hack, slash, smash! You can even stick 'em in a centrifuge if you want. A personal favourite of mine. How you do it doesn't matter though, just make sure you get the best possible results from the worst possible methods!" The bear finished with that evil smile, that tone losing none of its calm sincerity.

The room turned deadly silent. Nobody wanted to face the choice that we had just been given.

Stay here, in this prison of a school, forever.  
Or kill someone - someone with hopes, dreams, loved ones - to escape.

"Are… are you serious?"

"Of course I am! I'm a bear of my word. Feel free to look around, check the rules and try to escape - and learn that I speak nothing more than the undeniable truth."

Our collective hearts stopped.  
The huge gymnasium felt freezing.  
This evil bear. This murderous rule.

It was all real.  
It was all so very real.

Everyone's faces that I could see showed clear fear, terror, uncertainty… Ruby, who was already frightened by Monokuma had now buried her face entirely into Dia's chest, the older sister seemingly comforting her.  
Even Honoka looked afraid. Honoka, who so far only showed boundless enthusiasm and positivity in the face of these events, was clearly scared.

"Hold on."

The cold, bitter silence was eventually broken by a redhead, who looked calm and composed. _'Maybe it was a mask.' _  
It had to be. No one could stay as cool as her if they were faced with a kill or be killed situation.

"Monokuma, you said that we're the hope of the nation. If you want to nurture it, then why are you also telling us to kill each other?"

"Simple." the bear started up again. "The hopes of the nation stand before me in this room. All eighteen of you are beacons of hope because you are here. Imagine that same hope, fighting each other, killing each other… imagine the sweet despair that will spread when hope wipes itself out!"

I couldn't hold myself back at his words.

"You're… doing this… for your own sick wishes?"

"Correct!" He silenced me again. With a single word.

I was right.  
No fancy explanation, no elaborate speech.  
This is all just for his fun.

That's all this bear wants.

To see us die.  
Struggle.  
Despair.

All for his fun.  
Just for fun.  
Just for a kick.

My head was threatening to burst again. I couldn't accept it.

"Well, if there are no more questions…" Monokuma called for anyone else to test him on this quite frankly horrible subject. There were no more objections, no more queries… no more signs of fighting back.

"Excellent! Then after a few announcements, I shall declare the Welcoming Ceremony over! You'll only have to _bear_with me a little longer."

No one laughed this time. No one had the mood to laugh.

"Firstly, you should all have had an e-Handbook in your dormitories. These notebooks will be vital to your school life here, so please make sure you don't lose them! You'll find a list of all your classmates, the school rules, and a map of the Academy - as well as a fancy new Instant Messaging service! They're also impossible to break, and completely waterproof too! Nifty, huh?"

_'Yeah, if we could use them.'_ I thought back to when I first turned mine on, and couldn't access anything but the messages.

"Second, the elevators to the upper floors are currently unavailable for scheduled maintenance works. Finally, I've noticed a rabbit running around the building these last few days. I haven't managed to catch it yet and I don't think it's dangerous, but if you see it, please let me know as soon as possible. Plans have already been for its capture and rehabilitation to its new environment.  
"And with that, the Welcoming Ceremony is noooow… overrrr! Please enjoy your brand new school life to the fullest!"

On that note Monokuma jumped right off the podium and vanished, leaving us all to the reality we had suddenly found ourselves in.

We were trapped in Hope's Peak Academy.  
We couldn't contact our families.  
We couldn't escape.  
Unless…

_'If you want to leave you just have to kill your classmates!'_

Those words were still ringing in my head.

_'If you want to leave you just have to kill your classmates!'_

No, I won't kill anyone. I won't give this Monokuma what he wants. I'm going to fight him, every step of the way. I'm going to get out of here, somehow.

_'If you want to leave…'_

And it hit me.  
The reality of those words.  
Why they were ringing.

_'...you just have to kill your classmates!'_

I wouldn't kill anyone, but…

What about the others?

Would they take that bear's offer? Their own freedom for one of our lives? For my life? Would they kill for freedom?

I gave nervous glances around the room - aside from Ruby, who was still hiding away in her sister's embrace, everyone else was doing the same. Everyone was thinking the same as I was. Who'd kill for freedom?

The air was filled with tension. Paranoia.  
Distrust.

_If you want to leave you just have to kill your classmates!'_

The panic and worry I felt when I woke up was now all-consuming. The world started spinning again, and I knew now…

_'If you want to leave you just have to kill your classmates!'_

It would never be the same.

A hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

This _horrible_ reality.

"Chika?" Honoka's concern was clear in her voice, her face. "You OK?"

_'No, I'm not OK. I'm not OK at all.' _I wanted to say that, but those words couldn't come out.

"I… I think I need to lie down."

My head churned again. As it did when I first came here. My worries when I woke up. They became terribly real. And terribly overwhelming.

_'If you want to leave you just have to kill your classmates!' _

I just couldn't handle it. My vision began to blur as it did when I was in the Entrance Hall.

The last thing that ran through my mind before everything went dark again…

_This is no place for hope.  
__This is no place to shine._

* * *

**PROLOGUE - END**

**Surviving Students: 18**


	3. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 1

**CHAPTER 1: THE BONDS THAT HOLD US TOGETHER - ** **DAILY LIFE**

* * *

** DAY 1**

* * *

For the second time today I found myself waking up in a strange, yet bland, dormitory, with no idea how I got there. Slowly getting up, I tried to recall how I ended up here. It all felt like a very weird dream - but it felt more like a bad memory.

It started when I arrived at Hope's Peak Academy and passed out in the Entrance Hall; this was when I woke in this dorm. Then I met someone called Honoka as I headed to the Welcoming Ceremony, where I also met the school's Headmaster - a robotic bear called Monokuma. Then everything started to take a turn for the worse. Firstly, he declared that we would have to stay here for the rest of our lives and that we were cut off from the rest of the world. Then he told us that the only way we could leave… is if we killed someone here.  
It was not long after that when I passed out again.

And that's when the dream/memory ended and I woke up.

_'Pretty weird, huh?'_

Feeling more awake now that I've been upright for a while I stood back up and moved around the dorm. As I headed to the exit, I found the keys and my eHandbook on the small table near the door, as well as a quick, handwritten note next to them.

_'That's probably from whoever brought me here this time.'_ I picked it up and read it, thinking it'll tell me where they are now.

_If you've woken up and I'm not here then I've gone to help Eli and Dia with something at the Entrance Hall. We're all meeting for lunch at 1 in the Cafeteria so if it's near 1 when you read this then go there!  
Honoka_

_Oh, I almost forgot. I had to leave your door unlocked so you could get out, sorry!_

It seemed as though Honoka was with me for some time while I was out before she had to find and help Dia and this Eli person. I felt somewhat comforted by the thought - at least she made sure I was safe and knew what was happening before she left. But then another thought hit me. A more terrifying one.

Everything that's happened so far…  
It wasn't a dream.  
It was real.

The bear.  
Being trapped in Hope's Peak.  
Having to kill…

It was all real.

The emotions I felt when I first found myself in this dorm - the confusion, fear, dread - they all came back to me. I didn't want to pass out again (twice was enough for one day) and took some deep breaths to help push the negative thoughts down. I still wasn't in perfect form, but I also wasn't as anxious, so I took this small victory and picked up my keys and eHandbook.

The device woke up as I moved it around, and embracing the convenience, I decided to quickly check the time.

_**eHandbook - Chika Takami - 12:50 pm**_

_'Almost time to meet with everyone, apparently.'_ I was about to put it back to sleep when I noticed two new messages had been sent. I had some time, so I sat down at the table and read them.

The first one came from the Headmaster, this Monokuma, and simply said that the eHandbooks were now unlocked, so we could use all of the features available. The second one came from an Eli Ayase - probably the one that Honoka was talking about. This one looked to be quite important, but as I read through it all the useful information it had was already scribbled down by Honoka.

With the messages now read, I slipped the eHandbook into my pocket and decided to head out - there wasn't much I could do here in this boring room anyway. As the letter said the door was unlocked, it opened without too much of a struggle. I went through into the corridor and shut the door, making sure it was locked. As I expected, not much had changed out here. The dormitory doors were all closed, the huge, red doors were locked up tight and…

_Were they?_

Could those red doors lead to a way out? Our path to salvation? I doubted it, but I resolved to at least try and find something useful - if everyone else is trying to find a way out of here, I don't want to be the one who has nothing useful to bring. Making my way towards the doors, I reached out to them, grabbed the handles and…

_*rattle, rattle*_

Found they were locked. No matter how much I pushed or pulled, the doors would not budge an inch.

"That door's been locked since the morning, Chika. We checked."

Someone had managed to sneak up to my right, shifting my attention from the doors to them. It was a redhead like Ruby, but her hair was done in a bob and she held a confidence - almost arrogance - about her which was slightly scary. I was still trying to take her in when she manoeuvred herself in front of me and put a hand on my head.

"Hmm…"

Violet eyes seemed to drill into my head as she looked into my own. To be honest, it was kind of scary - it didn't last long thankfully as she took her hand away and moved back.

"You seem fine now. I recommend you take it easy, at least for today. If you feel stressed out again, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths."

"Umm…" I could barely come up with a response to her and her actions. I was about to ask who she was and what she was doing, but it was as though she could see right through me.

"I'm Maki Nishikino. The Ultimate Doctor. I was just doing a quick check-up on you."

**[MAKI NISHIKINO: Ultimate Doctor]**

"I was heading over to your dorm to see if you were awake, but I don't need to now. We should get to the Cafeteria. The others should be heading there around now."

I was still stunned by her to give a response. As a doctor, her actions make sense, but… still…

I already knew the Nishikino name before I got invited to Hope's Peak. The family owns several hospitals across the country, including a new one in Numazu - close to my hometown of Uchiura. They're not only rich but also incredibly talented, and their daughter, Maki, the girl who got invited here, is said to be a genius even among them. She's been working at a hospital in Tokyo for a few years - despite being in school - and has already saved dozens of lives.  
I guess when I thought of the Ultimate Doctor I expected them to be… you know, nice. Approachable. Caring. Maki was probably the opposite of this.

"Hey, stop spacing out. We should get to the Cafeteria."

Her words, cold and sharp, brought me back to reality. I didn't really like her much, but it was probably best to stick with her. As we were walking she asked me about my own talent - she was intrigued by the fact that it showed up as 'Ultimate ?' under my Contact page on the eHandbook.

"Well…" I was wondering the same thing. 'Ultimate ?' leaves a lot of questions. There was an answer I could think of, but it was more of a cop out than a proper answer. "To be honest, I don't know. It was like that on my invitation here."

Maki pondered my response as we reached the doors to the Cafeteria.

"Interesting. Since it stayed like that on your profile, then it's unlikely to be a mistake. If that's true, then there are two possibilities. The first is that Monokuma thinks you have a talent that'd put him at a disadvantage in this game. By obscuring said talent, you would likely find it harder to use."

"Wait, did you say-"

"The second is much simpler." Ignoring what I was saying, she moved in closer, her voice almost a whisper. "Your invitation was simply a mistake, and you were never meant to be here. In other words, _you don't have a talent._"

…  
What?

"I… don't have a talent?"

"I won't say that is the truth, but if it is, at least you'll be prepared for it when it comes." Maki finished, before stepping away and heading through the doors.

…

I know she's trying to help me with understanding my talent, but…  
Being told that you probably don't have a talent in a school that gathers the most talented students in the country…  
It's rather depressing.

Sighing, I decided it was best to get into the Cafeteria and worry about it later. There were plenty more problems on my mind. Such as this kill or be killed world I've found myself in.

I pushed through the doors, coming to a fairly large room with tables and chairs scattered around. There was a large, circular table in the centre of the room laden with all sorts of foods and drinks, where several other people had gathered - I quickly saw Honoka and Maki talking to each other, and assumed that these were the other students, meeting for lunch. I think I was the last one to arrive. In my defence, though, I had just woken up again after fainting in front of everyone.

"CHIKAAAAAA!"

Before I could even process what was happening I was once again caught up in a Honoka hug; the sheer force of it, as well as my still being a bit woozy, sent us both crashing to the floor. A chorus of apologies from Honoka and concern from the others rang out as we got back up, but there was someone who… I think they kind of liked it.

Or rather,_ us._

As in, me and Honoka.

_"OOOH! How cute!"_ A girl with blonde hair and an accented voice called out.

"Mari!" I quickly recognised Dia's stern tone. "Do you not care that Chika could be hurt right now?!"

"Di-a! Of course, I care about her, but look! She's fine, isn't she?" I nodded, but cautiously. "See, she's fine! Especially since her _girlfriend_ is here! Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce myself! Name's Mari Ohara!"

**[MARI OHARA: Ultimate Affluent Progeny]**

"Umm… girlfriend?" Is she talking about Honoka? A cheeky wink was her response.

"Ehehe," she spoke up as I thought about her, "don't worry about it Chika. She's usually like this."

"_'Don't worry?'_ Oh, Honoka, you were worried sick when Chika fainted right in front of you. Didn't you beg for her to-"

Another blonde called out above the ruckus we'd caused.  
"Okay, if everyone's not hurt then I think we should think about lunch. Chika must be hungry after everything that's happened this morning."

Now that she mentioned it… I do feel quite peckish. "Y-Yeah, lunch sounds good." Welcoming the change in topic, I headed to the centre table with Honoka and sat between the ginger (I think Mari shot another wink at me) and another girl with long auburn hair - my next door neighbour, Riko.

"Hey, Riko."

"Hey, Chika. I'm glad to see you're OK." She replied.

I didn't say anything else. We didn't need to. We both knew what we were thinking.

**[RIKO SAKURAUCHI: Ultimate Pianist]**

Riko had moved to Uchiura a few years back, shortly after I learned my best friend You died sailing around the world. I was utterly devastated at the time, barely talking to anyone or getting any sleep. It was during one of those restless nights, staring at the apartment outside the inn when I first heard Riko's piano - a composition she had made herself. It was simply beautiful.  
I kept coming back to the window every night since, sitting there and listening to the enchanting sound across the street. I still wasn't sleeping right, but the music comforted me enough to get some proper rest for the first time in a while. Soon after, we met for the first time, and she was the first person I had talked to since I lost You.  
Riko had apparently moved to the country to get some inspiration for a new composition - having lost it in the noise and towers of Tokyo. I decided to take her around the town, the beach, and nearby Awashima, to help her find the music she was looking for. This led to us becoming friends - I'd help with her composing and she'd play it for me. For the first time in a long time, I began to sleep, open up to people… she helped me get better.

I owe a lot to Riko for what she did for me during that time, and I don't think I can ever repay her for it. And now that we're stuck here, in this school…

This school we can only leave through committing a murder…

I don't think I ever will.

* * *

We looked at each other in silence for about a minute, when the other blonde encouraged us to eat the food on the table. I chose to take a couple of rice balls and some curry while Riko had gone for the sandwiches.

"OH MY GOD THIS BREAD IS AMAZING!"

Something tells me Honoka went for the bread.

I couldn't help but laugh, and everyone else had joined in - which made the mood incredibly light. The students were talking to each other about the food, their lives before Hope's Peak, their talents, anything they could think of. Since Honoka and Riko were busy with their meals and their neighbours, I decided to simply eat.  
Oh my god… the curry, the rice balls…

The food. Was. _Incredible._

Perfectly fluffed rice balls, a perfectly spiced curry… all the flavours were so well balanced, each mouthful was a dream to eat. I just kept on eating, it was so wonderful - until I hit an empty plate and the food in front of me was gone. Some of the others were helping themselves to seconds (the girl next to Honoka was on thirds), and ultimately I couldn't resist the rice balls any more, taking a few extra along with some more curry. It wasn't long before everyone else had finished their lunches, all as satisfied as I was. Many of them began to thank a Hanayo for the meal, to which a girl with short, brownish hair next to Ruby gave her appreciation.

"I'm just glad that everyone enjoyed the food." She seemed quiet and timid, just like the redhead.

**[HANAYO KOIZUMI: Ultimate Chef]**

"I told you guys Kayo-chin was an amazing chef, nya!" The ginger next to her shouted out, startling both Hanayo and Ruby.

"R-Rin! Don't scare me like that!"

"But everyone should know how amazing you are Kayo-chin!"

_'She's just like Honoka!' _

**[RIN HOSHIZORA: Ultimate Athlete]**

"Thanks, Rin. But… you really don't need to say that out loud." She then asked for her to help clear away some of the plates, which she as well as Dia, Ruby and Riko joined with. While they were busy, I caught my ginger friend's attention and asked her about this Eli and why she and Dia needed her help at the Entrance Hall. I pretty much wanted to ask about what happened while I was out, but this seemed like a good start.

"Oh! Eli, over there?" She pointed to the blonde with the ponytail, who was chatting to a purple-haired student with twin-tails. "She and Dia were trying to figure out how to open the big iron door over the main entrance. They reckon Monokuma put it there to-"

"Wait… an iron door?" I don't remember there being a door like that when I arrived at Hope's Peak's entry hall - the closest I could think of was the gate at the wall outside the building.

"Yeah, it's like we're in a big vault or something. There's a bunch of metal plates over the windows round the school too, apparently!"

_'Plates over the windows, too?'_ I guess they're to stop us from getting out, but where did the school get this and that vault-like door in the Hall? And if I got here so early, and they weren't there when I arrived, then how were they fitted so quickly?

Just _what_ is going on here? Before I could press her further, the others returned from the kitchen, and Eli and Dia called for everyone to quieten up - once we'd done so the blonde started to address us all.

"Everyone, I know that this morning's been… pretty stressful for us all," _'Yeah, no kidding.'_ I didn't want to say it out loud, but I couldn't help thinking of it, "but I just want to thank everyone for staying calm and helping each other out."

**[ELI AYASE: Ultimate Ballet Dancer]**

"She asked us to look around the school for a way out of here," Riko whispered to me, as Eli asked for everyone to share what they found out. I'm kind of glad she's here to make sure I'm not lost. I just hope she stays alive.  
I don't know what I'd do without her…

Dia started with her report on the Entrance Hall. As Honoka said, she, Eli and Ruby found that the doors had been replaced with a large iron door - with the windows also covered by metal plates. They had tried to find a way to open the door remotely, but when that failed they went with brute force (I assume this is what Honoka helped with) - which didn't go to plan either.

"So… Umm… I don't think we can get out that way." Ruby finished the report. Her anxiety was pretty obvious in her voice. "I-I'm sorry."  
"Don't worry. You did your Rubesty."  
"Thanks, sis."

The next group to share their findings were a Hanamaru, a Yoshiko, and a Nozomi. I wanted to pin the faces to names when I remembered that Monokuma had unlocked the eHandbooks and Maki found out about my 'talent' through the contacts page. I'll probably introduce myself later, but for now, knowing who everyone is would be best. So I took out my eHandbook and opened up the contacts page as a girl with hazel hair, who was next to Honoka, the purple-haired girl next to Eli, and another with dark blue hair in a bun all stood up, prepared to speak.

"Kehehe," the girl with the bun, listed as Yoshiko Tsushima in my Handbook, started, "the secrets of this, the site of our Ragnarok, shall never elude the gaze of a fallen angel. Little demons, bear witness as Yohane unveils the shadows of our enemy!"

**[YOSHIKO TSUSHIMA: Ultimate Lucky Student]**

Umm… what?

"Yoshiko, Nozomi and I went to find out as much as possible on what happened here, zura." The hazel-haired girl - Hanamaru, apparently - said. "If we know more about our situation, then we might be able to stay out of Monokuma's traps."

"It's Yohane!" Yoshiko yelled at her, which made me more confused. Is she Yoshiko or this... Yohane? Is it like a personality thing?

**[HANAMARU KUNIKIDA: Ultimate Librarian]**

The other girl, who must be Nozomi, only gave a laugh at their antics.

"Well, Yoshiko, you can decide what you wanna be called later. For now, let's talk about what we found, shall we?"

This seemed to shut Yoshiko up, though she did mutter 'Yohane' under her breath.

**[NOZOMI TOJO: Ultimate Spiritual Guide]**

"Truthfully, we didn't find out much about Monokuma or how became the Headmaster here, zura. And as much as we tried to open up those red doors at the end of the corridor they were locked up tight." Hanamaru started.  
"But we asked the little bear where they went, and- "  
"The enemy exposed their greatest secret to us!" Yoshiko shouted, interrupting Nozomi.

Hang on a second...

"You asked _Monokuma_ about the doors?" I couldn't help but ask. Nozomi just asked the maniacal robot bear where the doors led to?!

"She sure did!" A familiar voice, playful yet terrifying, stated as the black and white bear popped up in the middle of the table - stunning everyone in the room. _'Just as I talk about him…' _"And I'm sorry to say this, Yoshiko, but it wasn't my biggest secret. I'm saving that for later!"

The… angel girl was not happy about Monokuma's taunt, but Hanamaru ignored the bear and carried on with her group's report.

"Monokuma said those doors lead to somewhere called the Trial Room, zura."

"But you didn't tell us what the Trial Room is for, ya silly bear."

"And I didn't tell you what it was for because I wanted everyone to know at the same time!" It was a crude way of getting our attention onto him, but it worked, as Honoka asked him what, exactly, the Trial Room was for. "Well, the Trial Room is foooooor…" the bear mimed a drum roll, "the CLASS TRIALS!"

"Class… Trials?" I asked. There was no way I could trust Monokuma to be so nice - he was the one who put us in this killing situation after all - and I suspected these Trials would have something to do with it.

"If I may guess, the Class Trials are our chance to 'discover' someone who kills someone else." Maki said, her matter-of-fact tone piercing through us. "I was wondering about the wording on that rule."

"That's right, Maki! When one of you guys kill another-"

"_If _we kill." A short, black-haired girl shot up and corrected him with a killer glare. I swear I've seen her somewhere before, but the bear cut off my thoughts and turned to her, speaking with a far more menacing voice.

"Hmm? Is there a problem, Miss Yazawa?"

_'Yazawa? As in, _Nico _Yazawa?'_

"What, it's not obvious to you? You're acting like these... Trials are gonna happen. That we're just gonna snap like _that_ and kill our friends." She climbed onto the table and pushed herself towards Monokuma.

**[NICO YAZAWA: Ultimate Idol]**

"Well let me break it down for you, so your tiny little bear brain can understand. No one is going to kill each other. There isn't going to be a 'Class Trial.'" Her face was almost touching his, and my mind was screaming for her to back off before something bad happened. "So you may as well take your little 'killing game' and go back to whatever cr-"

"NICO!" Dia shouted suddenly, her hands covering Ruby's ears. "Language!"

"Sorry, mom." Nico replied - earning a scowl from the older Kurosawa - before turning her focus back to the bear. "Take your stupid little game and go back to whatever sorry place you came from, you stupid little sh-"

"NICO!"

The idol (I couldn't believe that this is the Nico that acts super cutesy on stage, though she could simply be annoyed) ignored her and continued to stare down the bear, with neither wanting to back down. I had a terrible feeling that Nico was going to take a swipe at him, or doing something that would make him angry. He, meanwhile, seemed somewhat... relaxed? But also irritated, and probably tired of her threats.

"Upupupupu" Monokuma popped out claws, raising them just in front of her eyes. "Give it time, short-stuff. The bodies are gonna pile up. The Class Trials are gonna happen. And unless you want a _repeat_ of this morning…" His red eye glowed. This was a threat of his own. "Then you better accept that they're going to happen - with, or with_out _your approval."  
She looked as though she was about to lunge at him, to shut him up once and for all, but eventually backed down instead. It didn't stop her from shooting her glare back at Monokuma, who retracted his claws and went back to his speech as though this whole scene ever happened.

"Anyways, when one of you guys kill another, whoever's still alive I'll send off to investigate the crime and find the killer. They'll even get a Monokuma File to commemorate the occasion! Then we get to the Trial - where you share what you found and figure out whodunnit! If you're right, then I'll haul 'em off and punish them. But if you're wrong, then everyone else gets punished and the killer walks free! Any questions about it?"

I wanted to ask more about the file, and this… punishment. But by the way the black-haired girl was still giving a look towards the bear it was better not to say anything - a decision everyone else had made as well. "Great! Then I'll update the rules with all this and I'll be on my way. There's a tasty salmon in my office with my name on it!"

Monokuma then jumped off the table and slid right under it, between me and Honoka. When we looked underneath, he was gone.

_'How the hell does he do that?'_

The bear's sudden appearance - and disappearance - had silenced the room, and Hanamaru, Yoshiko and Nozomi had since sat back down. With nothing else to report, Eli decided to end the meeting and let everyone go and do their own thing.

"B-but sis, what are we going to do?" Ruby asked. It was a simple question, aimed at Dia, but it was a very good question, for all of us.

What are we going to do?

We all spent time thinking about what she said, but it was Maki who was the first to give an answer.

"For now, the best thing to do is… simply to get on with our lives here. There's no specific pressure for us to actually kill each other, and unless Monokuma changes that, then-"

_*ding, dong, ding, dong*_

The school bell rang, and the monitors on the walls lit up with the Hope's Peak emblem. It wasn't long before Monokuma's face - something which none of us wanted to see - appeared at a table, with a raw fish and a glass of wine before him.

"Attention everyone! This is a school announcement!  
"Y'know, I've just had a thought. This morning I told you all that if you kill one of your classmates you'd graduate. But now I've told you all that you'd have to go through a Class Trial first before you graduate! It just doesn't seem fair, telling you one thing then enforcing another! Sooooo, if you get a kill in the next forty-eight hours - then we'll skip the Trial and you can get straight out of here! Haaaaappy killing!"

The screen went blank. And we were all trying to process exactly what Monokuma said and what it meant for us.

_'If you get a kill in the next forty-eight hours - then we'll skip the Trial and you can get straight out of here!'_

"How crude." Once again, Maki was the first to speak, as though she had figured it out. "I guessed he would do something like this, to push us towards killing each other."

"T-towards… killing?" Hanayo had asked the redhead.

"Correct. He gave us a motive to kill, albeit a crude one. Monokuma put up a hurdle towards us escaping, which meant that killing someone always carried a risk of being caught. By removing that hurdle, the risk of being caught is removed and - theoretically - we'd be more likely to kill.  
"Anyways, the best course of action would be to simply ignore his demands and live here for now. If we're patient, then our families will notice and contact the police - and we'll be rescued." She finished with an almost smug expression. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have some medicines to sort."

Maki then got up and left the Cafeteria, barely giving us a look as she strode away.

Her departure prompted the other students to leave as well. Hanayo, Rin and Hanamaru went into the Kitchen to tidy up; some of them, including Eli and Dia, headed back towards the Entrance Hall to try and crack this vault door open; and the rest chose to explore the Academy. It wasn't long before it was only me, Honoka and Riko left at the table, who asked me what I was going to do. To be honest… I don't know.

I could meet everyone here and make as many friends as I can, which Honoka said as quickly as I thought of it.  
I could look around the Academy, as some of the others have done, and get a feel for the place - but I could do that as I do my introductions.  
Or I could just hide in my room and lock it up so I don't get hurt, which I ruled out because Riko would've shot me down straight away.

Riko, however, suggested that I read the rules before I did anything - it was a good idea. I don't want to accidentally break a rule and end up facing one of Monokuma's punishments. I still had my eHandbook out from earlier to help me learn the faces of everyone, (which I forgot about when that bear showed up) so I woke it up and moved to the Regulations section. With my two friends around me, I read them out:

**Note: The Headmaster has the right to add, alter and remove any regulations at their discretion.**

**1\. Students will live entirely within the confines of Hope's Peak Academy. Leaving the premises is strictly prohibited. **  
**2\. Students are free to explore the premises at their discretion - any actions in this regard are not restricted. **  
**3\. Night Hours are designated between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. During this time, most facilities will be unavailable. **  
**4\. Sleeping outside of the dormitories at any time without good reason is strictly prohibited. **  
**5\. Stealing another student's eHandbook is strictly prohibited, as is lending your eHandbook to another student. **  
**6\. Eating or drinking within the Indoor Garden is strictly prohibited. **  
**7\. Violence against the Headmaster is strictly prohibited, as is destroying security cameras or monitors. **  
**8\. The Headmaster will not interfere with student welfare unless it is to administer punishments for rule breaches. **  
**9\. Once a murder takes place, a Class Trial will be held shortly thereafter. Participation is mandatory for all students. **  
**10\. If the murderer is exposed during the Trial, they alone will be punished. **  
**11\. If the murderer is not exposed, they will graduate and all other students will be punished.**

Most of these rules… they actually make sense. Monokuma explained that the school's locked down, so there's rule 1. Rule 3 seems like a curfew of sorts, and 5 reinforces the eHandbook's importance. There was no way I was gonna break rule 7. Rules 9 to 11... the graduation rules. The ones Monokuma said were nullified for the next few days.

_'If you get a kill in the next forty-eight hours - then we'll skip the Trial and you can get straight out of here!'_

"He changed rule nine." Riko commented. Maki had noted that a rule - presumably this murder rule - had seemed unclear, so that must be why it was changed.  
"And there are a few new rules, too." Honoka added. It seemed to match what the bear had told us about the Class Trials just now.

I asked Riko and Honoka more about some of the rules, and eventually, I understood them. No sleeping outside the dorms, don't take food into the Garden, don't fight Monokuma. Which meant I had to decide on what to do next - and I chose to look around Hope's Peak and meet some of the other students. As soon as I told them about it, Honoka had jumped out of her seat in a fit of excitement (catching both me and Riko by surprise) and announced the beginning of... 'Operation Make Friends.'

"Are you like the Ultimate Friend or something, Honoka?" I couldn't make sense of her boundless energy, even in the face of danger.

"Of course I am! That's why I'm here!" She replied, before grabbing my and Riko's hands. "Now lets GOOOOOO!"

I had only a second to pocket my eHandbook before we were flung out of the Cafeteria and into the corridors of Hope's Peak Academy.

_'Honoka Kousaka, the Ultimate Friend.'_

Suddenly, everything she's done - everything she's doing - it made sense.

She wants to be my friend. Everyone's friend, so no one ends up hurting each other.


	4. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 2

The whole of Hope's Peak Academy lay before me, Riko and Honoka, the latter practically bursting with energy and dragging us around, firstly into the foyer. The last time I was here was brief, having been dragged practically straight to the Gym for the Welcoming Ceremony - after which I passed out. But this time, I wasn't in such a rush and I was awake, so I could finally have a proper look at this enormous open space.  
And it _was_ enormous.

The entirety of the foyer's left side was taken up by a sprawling garden, filled with a rainbow of flowers and plants, cherry trees in full bloom, ornate water features (most of which had Monokuma's face on them) which all melded into a truly beautiful sight - but it felt so _alien _here.

I could see a set of open doors at the far end of the foyer, which Honoka noted was the way to the Entrance Hall where the iron door that the others found should be, and to the right was the way into the Gym and what looked like two more rooms. Riko pointed out the near side rooms were actually the elevators to the upper floors - which are _'under maintenance'_ according to Monokuma - and the far side room held an incinerator, presumably to dispose of any waste we make.

Somewhere, within this massive foyer and the corridors behind, were fourteen students who I don't know. Who I should meet, and hopefully befriend.

Asking me where we should go first, I chose to go to the Entrance Hall, which is where Eli and Dia were. Seeing as they had essentially taken the role of leaders, it seemed like a good idea to get to know them. After telling the others, we all went straight forward, into the Hall. When we walked in, Eli, Dia and Ruby, as well as a girl I recognised as childhood friend Kanan Matsuura were standing around the front doors. Or at least, where the front doors _should_ have been.

I know Honoka told me about it, and Dia had reported it at lunch, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight of a huge, metal-plated vault that had replaced them. The trophies and awards that lined the walls… they were eclipsed by those huge doors. It… it was rather depressing. Those doors, seemingly immovable… Monokuma won't let us out. We're stuck here. Unless…

_'If you want to leave you just have to kill your classmates!'_

No, Chika. Don't think like that. We'll find another way out of here. No one has to die - or kill. We can all get out of here.

"Ah, Chika! Riko! Honoka!" Kanan called out to us, having turned around and seen us standing at the entryway. Soon, everyone in the room had noticed our arrival. "We could use a hand if you have time!"

**[KANAN MATSUURA: Ultimate Diver]**

"Of course, we're coming over!" I replied. It was nice (and bittersweet) to see another familiar face here in this school, and the three of us walked over, towards the group and the iron door. "What do you guys need?"

"We're kinda looking for ideas to try and get this door open, without breaking those cameras up there." She explained, as Eli pointed to the two security cameras that flanked the huge vault. "And just trying to use our muscles won't work either."

"Alright. Hmm…" I took a long look at the huge vault door, looking for a way to get it to open. But it seemed hopeless. There was nothing about it or around it that could point towards a clue to moving it. Riko, however, seemed to have spotted something.

"Hey, there's some kind of lever at the centre of the door." She noted. We could all see it, now it was pointed out. "If we had some kind of pulley, we might be able to move it."

"Riko, that's an amazing idea! I'll go get some stuff to build it!" Honoka bounced around with a huge grin and promptly rushed out of the room, Riko following to make sure she doesn't get hurt. I was left alone in the hall with the four other students, but seeing as I wanted to introduce myself to them anyway, this was probably a good thing - it gave me a chance to talk to them.

I decided to speak to Eli first, who along with Dia seemed to have taken charge of the situation we were in. Like most of the other students here, her name cropped up during my research into who was attending Hope's Peak (Honoka, Ruby and Yoshiko were the few I couldn't find anything about.)

She was invited here as the Ultimate Ballet Dancer - a title she earned during her time in Russia, dancing as part of the country's top theatre group. She spent many years working for them, often leading the shows, before moving back to Japan - bringing her love of dancing with her. Performing more shows around Tokyo, she even managed to save her struggling high school from closure.

She sounds totally amazing.

All I have to do is talk to her, and hide how much I admire her talent. It'd be pretty weird if I heap tons of praise onto someone I've never met.

"You must be Chika, right? Honoka told me a lot about you."

"Y-Yeah, that's me. And you must be Eli then."

After finishing our introductions, we began talking about ourselves - Eli with her ballet obviously being more interesting than I was. Even so, she seemed fascinated as I was speaking about the family inn and Uchiura, chipping with a… _Harasho? _I've never heard that word before.

"Is… is that a bit of Russian?"

"That's right." She replied. "It means something is good, or interesting."

"Take it as a compliment!" Kanan chimed in.

"Seriously? You find my life interesting?"

"Chika, I've spent a large part of my life in a country where there are big cities and constant snow. A small town with beaches is, for me, _harasho _."

I… had never actually thought of that. Someone who grew up in a land of cold snow would indeed be fascinated by someone who's only ever known sandy beaches and sunshine - and that bit of perspective had improved my mood somewhat. Considering what happened so far today, that was quite an achievement.

I was about to find out more about her life in Russia and her dancing, when Honoka burst back into the room, dragging along a small trolley filled with pieces of wood and rope. It seemed our chat had come to an end.

"We're baaaack!" She shouted, more like a victory cry. "We found some stuff in the Music Room and Gym we could use to make that pulley!"

"And Kotori said she'd help put it together." Riko added with a smile, as she and an ashen-haired girl came into the Entrance Hall.

"Mm! Just tell me what you need me to do!"

**[KOTORI MINAMI: Ultimate Fashionista]**

"Thank you, Kotori." Eli had turned her attention to the newcomer, filling her in on our plans to hopefully get the vault door open - taking a look at the supplies Honoka and Riko had found to form a plan. Honoka and Kanan had gone over as well to give some of their insight, Ruby and Dia were at the wall to the left talking to each other, which left me with Riko. While everyone was planning out how to build the pulley, I chose to talk to the two sisters, and try to get to know them better.

Dia's name was familiar to me. She's one of Kanan's friends, along with that Mari girl; though we personally have never met, I know a little bit from what I've learned from her.

Apparently, the Kurosawa family are major players in the fishing business around the Shizuoka prefecture, amassing a small fortune in the process. Dia, the heiress to the business, is a well respected and ambitious woman in Uchiura, though she often comes across as stern and controlling - a side I saw just before the Welcoming Ceremony began. Ruby, however, is someone I know nothing about. From what I've seen so far though, Dia seems to be protective of her, and her personality is a polar opposite to the elder sister.

Telling Riko about my plans, we headed over to where the two were talking. The redhead, who I had just noticed had a pair of headphones on, saw us and jumped quickly behind her sister - which made Dia aware of us.

"Oh, Chika. Riko. Is something the matter?" She asked us.

"No, everything's fine, Dia." I replied. "I just wanted to talk to you. Ruby, too, if that's okay."

_'Hopefully, if I'm honest with what I want, then she'll be alright with it.' _

"That's fine. I assume that your conversation with Eli was to introduce yourself properly, right?"

"Y-Yeah, it was." _'Nothing seems to get past her.' _

"Then I guess we'll do the same." As the composed older sister cleared her throat, I noticed Ruby edging closer towards us, but still looking anxious.

"You already know our names - I am Dia, and this is Ruby. We're the two children of the Kurosawa family, and I am set to inherit the fishing business our parents own. I was invited here as the Ultimate Big Sister, and -"  
"I'm Ruby Kurosawa." The redhead suddenly began to talk, surprising all of us. "I… I'm not as smart as my sis, or as brave, or, or as special… but, I hope that we can be friends here."

She was still shifting around on the spot, one hand on her earphones, but this spark of confidence from her… this was her way of shining. "Umm… my talent is, er… I'm the Ultimate Music Fan. I really like music and songs, and, um, I can tell which kinds of songs are going to be popular or not."

_'Ultimate… Music Fan? She seems so passionate about music - especially about whatever she's listening to. Maybe if I find out what it is, I can get a bit closer to her.' _

"And what kind of music do you like, Ruby?" I asked. She was about to respond when Dia pulled out a CD case from her bag ("Ruby made it for me, as a gift.") and handed it to me. The front was covered with an image of nine different girls, posing in costume in front of some kind of school. They were an idol group, and their name was… um…  
How do you pronounce _μ's_? I had to guess.

"_U's?_" It was kind of a weirdly shaped u, with some kind of squiggle in the bottom-left corner.

"I think it's pronounced _Mousse, _or, something." Riko chipped in.

"_Buu buu, desu wa. _It's pronounced _Muse._" Dia corrected us with her stern voice, pointing towards the odd u. "That is the Greek symbol for mu. Thus, with the _s _added on, you would say _muse _."

_'That made sense.' _Ruby started to get excited when this μ's was mentioned, and now she was practically ready to burst.

"They're amazing! The group's members are all still at high school, and they do all their own costumes and songs! And Yurika Kubo there is _sooooo_ _cute!_ I love her! I love them all!"

The redhead gushed over μ's, their songs, performances, members… literally anything she could think of about them she had nothing but praise for. I could still sense she was anxious - which wasn't a surprise, considering our… situation - but it was nice to see her smiling and coming out of her shell, if only for a moment.

We finished our conversation and I excused myself, ready to talk to Kotori. I turned to face her - and stopped right in my tracks.  
I hadn't noticed it before when she arrived. But now I could see her, it hit me.

I don't know if it was the hair, her sweet smile, the way she talked, but… when I looked at her, I was reminded of You.

You's smile. You's energy.  
You...  
I could see You, all grown up, in Kotori.

And it scared me.

_"Relax, Chika! Mama and Papa are with me, I'll be back before you even know it!" _

You...

_'This could've been you - if you lived. If you had just stayed.' _

_"Now, set a course for the new world!" _

_'Why didn't you just _stay, _You__?!'_

"Zenzoku zenshin! Yousoro!"

_'Why?!'_

"Hey, Chika. Are you okay?"  
It was Riko's voice, filled with worry, that snapped me out of back into the moment. I haven't had a flashback like that in years - and whenever I get them I freeze up like I just did.

"I... I'm fine." I wish I was fine right now. "I just need to go outside for a moment." Hopefully, she'll pick up on what just happened. She's good at sensing when there's something wrong with me. Right now, I... I just couldn't deal with Kotori, looking too eerily like a grown-up You. I had to get out of there. I needed to breathe.

Riko and Kanan followed me as I left the now stifling Entrance Hall.


	5. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 3

A crescendo plays in my head, rising and falling with the ocean waves. The notes take me on a walk on the beachside. A calming melody - a sun setting slowly over the horizon - helping to push back the storm raging in my head. Playing Riko's songs in my head was one of my coping mechanisms whenever my dead friend began to haunt me. I haven't had to do this for a long time, but…

Kotori… she looked a lot like You.  
The hair, a silvery ash like hers. The smile, so sweet, that gave a hint of sunlight.  
They were so similar. So _familiar._

That's what triggered the flashback I just had. Why I'm crouched down in the middle of the foyer, oblivious to almost everything around me, Riko and Kanan hovering over me, making sure I was okay.

"It's You, isn't it?" I think it was Kanan who had asked that. I nodded.

The two of them had a brief talk about something, before Riko went back to the Entrance Hall to presumably tell the others what happened and Kanan had me trapped in a hug. We were like this for a few moments, before I managed to shake away the storm in my head and still shaking, stood back up.

"It's alright Chika." She whispered in my ear, comforting me. "It's alright."

I remember her holding me like this over the years, whenever I hurt myself or was upset about something, or… whenever. Kanan would find me, and hug me, locking out the world until I felt better. She was the same with You too. We were all friends, way back when. Until there was something that not even she could fix with her signature hug and kind words.

* * *

_It was a calm but warm day. The wind blew strong enough to bring the ocean chill against the sun's heat - but not enough to make the sea rock. It was a day like this, almost a year ago now, when You had left Uchiura to sail across the world with her family.  
__For the first few days, I hated it. I hated that she had gone, springing it on me just a few days before she was to leave. But now, I dreamed about the sights and wonders she must be seeing, and what among those things she would love the most._

_Drinking a smoothie, I watched the waves lapping onto the coast, from the café across from Kanan's diving shop. Awashima's a short boat ride from home, and at this time of year the island doesn't get many tourists - the peace and quiet made the whole experience more relaxing._

_The two of us had just got back from a diving trip; we were looking for buried treasures beneath the waves, a shining pearl sitting in my shirt pocket among today's spoils. Kanan and her family were sifting through everything else we had found, to determine its value. You used to join us on our trips, and they didn't bring up a lot nowadays (today's haul consisted of old coins and trinkets) but the thrill of finding something that could change history was what kept us going._

_Even at our age, Kanan's one of the best divers in the country. My job on our hunts was to cover the sea floor, sweeping away the sand and grit to find anything on the surface. She, however, could see far better underwater, and was slim enough to dance through the tighter crevices and reach the treasures that were harder to reach. The Matsuuras had to eventually bring in a historian to help with sorting and valuing the treasures we were bringing in, but the money didn't matter to her. She just enjoyed diving that much._

_"Chika?" It was Kanan's father who called for me, a kind man with strong features and short hair that was starting to turn grey. "Could you come with me for a moment?"_

_"Of course." I finished my smoothie and went over to him. "Is there a problem?"_  
_He didn't reply. This was a sign of trouble. Probably someone else has claimed the treasure we found today. We had a problem with that a few years ago, before the historian was brought in to verify our finds.  
__We headed back to the dive shop in relative silence. He invited me in when we arrived, and I was greeted with some of the treasures we found over the years and diving supplies in the store - but my eyes were drawn towards a table in the corner, where he asked me to sit. Kanan was at the table, too, with a troubled, almost depressed expression on her face._

_I was about to ask her what was wrong when her father began to talk._

_"The Sailing Association called us while we were out."_

'The Sailing Association?' _They were keeping an eye out on the Watanabe's ship while they were travelling the world. I've heard nothing from them since they started to watch the ship, so why would they call now?_

_"The Watanabes were caught in a storm, off the coast of Portugal."_

_You got caught in a storm? Is she…?  
__No, it's probably nothing. She and her family are incredible sailors. They're probably fine, if a little shaken._

_"They told me rescue teams worked around the clock when they got the distress signal, but… their ship was wrecked when they arrived."_

_...  
__Oh._

_"Kanan... Chika… It's likely that You and her family are dead."_

_Oh.  
__Oh no._

_"I'm so sorry."_

_Oh no no no no._

_You…_  
_Why?  
__Why?!_

I don't remember much after that. There was a lot of crying from me, from Kanan, over You in the next few minutes. One of our closest friends - my closest friend - was gone, forever. Mr Matsuura took me home sometime after, and while he was talking with my parents I ran straight into my room, where the tears came pouring down again. I stayed in there for the next few days, barely even leaving my bed, not willing to talk to anyone.  
At the time, I had a horrible thought... that maybe, I'll never smile again.

* * *

Our hug carried on for some time, before the two of us separated.

"You feeling better now, Chika?" Kanan asked, still holding my hands.

"Y-Yeah, yeah." My voice was still shaky, but I was confident in that answer. It's been a long time since I thought about You like that. "Thanks, Kanan."

"It's OK. It's what I'm here for!" Her smile was radiant. I was about to see her off back into the Entrance Hall when she stopped me, wanting to say something else.

"After all these years, you still care about her, don't you?" I… I guess she's right.

"Chika. Remember when, a few months after she died, you had that dream? That You was somewhere out in the world, alive and well?"

"Yeah, but… that was just a dream." I didn't want to admit that I was still having those dreams. "She's still… dead, isn't she?"

"The thought matters, though, doesn't it?"

"Kanan…" She was still smiling, and I didn't know what she was getting at.

"Chika, that's always how you've been! You're the eternal optimist! You always think of the better ways things can go, and you keep everyone around you going, even if you don't see it yourself. It's what I like about you, what Riko likes about you, what You liked about you. It's because of you that I kept going on our tougher dives. Yes, there are times which you need picking up, but all the times you helped us out… it makes it all worth it."  
I was left speechless by her words. I guess it's true that I'm encouraging at times, but it's only because I want my friends to succeed. I just thought I was annoying them at times, but… after what Kanan just said… could it really be that I'm just a positive person? The source of some of their happiness?

I was about to give her a reply that hopefully would be as warming and encouraging as hers was, when an orange blur calling my name rushed out of the Entrance Hall and caught my eye. Moments later, I was caught in another Honoka hug - the impact of it sending both me and her crashing to the floor.  
_'Back to reality, I guess.' _I just hope that Mari girl didn't see it. If she did then I'll probably pay for it later.

"Uwaaaa! Help me Chika! Eli and Dia are being meeeean!" Honoka cried out as she picked me and herself up again.

"Being mean… how?" Kanan asked her. She was clearly annoyed at having our moment ruined by her arrival, but did her best to hide it.

"Well, after Riko came back and told us why you left, we got back to work on the pulley. Then… oh, Chika! Kotori told me to tell you it's alright, you just talk to her whenever you're up to it, okay?" She smiled in her usual excited way; I couldn't really say no to her like that.

"Thanks, Honoka." I responded, before asking her to get back to her story.

"Oh, yes. Um… we got back to the pulley, then I wanted to listen to some music. So I asked Ruby if she had any ideas for songs. And when she talked about A-RISE's new song I got super excited! I love A-RISE!" What happened next sounded utterly like Honoka - she bounced around the room with the redhead in hand.

"Ohh dear. She screamed, didn't she?" Kanan had an almost knowing look on her face as she asked.

"Y-Yeah. It was really loud too. My ears are still ringing." I quickly asked how I couldn't hear it, considering how loud it was, and Kanan explained that almost every room has been soundproofed. After Ruby had calmed down, Dia berated Honoka for causing the ruckus and scaring her sister. Eli stepped in and, deciding that Honoka would be better off showing me around the school, asked her to find me and bring Kanan back. "And then I ran into you and told you what happened!"  
_'Kinda sounds like the whole thing was her fault.' _Kanan seemed to laugh the whole thing off, however.

"Well, it looks like I'm wanted in the Entrance Hall, Chika. Honoka, if she gets into a panic again, go and get me or Riko, okay?" The ginger gave her a nod. "Then I guess I'll see you two around!" Kanan waved to us as she jogged back to the others, leaving me with Honoka and a whole building filled with strangers.

I saw someone walking around in the Garden. Someone I didn't know and needed to introduce myself to. With some of my confidence returned thanks to Kanan's speech, I headed over in that direction, with Honoka and her endless energy by my side.

* * *

_Rodrigo and his son Miguel watched over the young girl as she rested. They didn't know who she was or where she was from, only that they found her floating on a piece of wreckage - and that she was at death's door._

_Despite the storm last night, a fishing trip had been planned for today. The father had it scrapped when they found the drifter, however, and the two rushed her to the hospital as fast as their jeep could take them. After she was in their hands, he called his wife about what had happened, and Miguel asked if she would be okay._

_"If God is kind, then she will live." It was a half-hearted answer, but he didn't have the heart to lie to the boy and get his hopes up.  
__Fortunately, she had pulled through the surgery - despite some complications._

_There were questions from the authorities, obviously. About her identity, how she was found, any family they could contact. He had no answer for them, but had promised that until someone came forward he would look out for her as his own._

_Lucia always wanted a girl._

_"Papa! Papa! She's waking up!" Miguel shook his father as he whispered loudly in his ear, turning his attention to the girl he promised to care for. She was indeed opening her eyes, as his son told him - sea blue, same as the water they found her in, and a complement to her ashen grey hair. As she started to come around, those eyes darted around the clean hospital room, looking for something that wasn't there._

_" _Señorita? _How are you feeling?" Rodrigo had asked her. The girl turned over to him, with a confused look on her face. She tried to sit up, but he encouraged her to stay on her back._

_" _Koko..._"__ Her voice was weak. " _Koko… wa doko?_"_

_He didn't understand a word of what she just said. He could guess it was a question, with the way she spoke, but there was no clue on exactly what was being asked.  
__Finding out who she is, was going to be tough._


	6. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 4

My first look at the huge Indoor Garden in the foyer left me with an impression of awe. It wasn't hard not to be, with the rainbow of flowers and cherry blossoms spreading across the foyer forming a magical sight - and that was only outside of the garden itself.  
Stepping inside of it was something like finding myself in another world altogether.

"Wooow…" The sound unconsciously escaped my mouth.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Honoka whispered to me. I couldn't deny it. The sights and smells outside of the garden, already beautiful, were amplified a hundredfold within it.

The sound of the gravel crunching underneath my feet mixed serenely with birdsong coming from the trees and bushes lining the walls. I briefly wondered if the birdsong was coming from hidden speakers until I glanced a small bluebird flitting over to a Monokuma-shaped water feature. As I walked around, the roses and flowers, so bright and vibrant, painted a picture of tranquility, relaxation, bliss. A koi pond followed the side of the pathway, where a bridge led over to a veranda that overlooked the whole garden. It was a truly breathtaking place.  
And by all accounts, it should not be here, in this school of despair.

The person I saw earlier was heading up towards this veranda, and while I knew I had to meet them, I wanted to spend some time just _walking _around here. Flowers I didn't know the names of, in colours I never thought existed and bloomed with such exotic scents and patterns - they were all over the place. I could spend a lifetime here if I wanted to and I'd never tire of the sight, it was so peaceful. Even Honoka calmed down in the aura that the flowers radiated.

Eventually, we made it over to the veranda, where there were two girls - one with blonde hair and another with violet hair - sitting around a table, a deck of cards and what looked like a pile of coins on top of it. They were deep in conversation with each other about something - I was too far away at the time to make out what was being said. As we got closer, I quickly recognised the blonde as Kanan's friend Mari, and her companion as... Nozomi, I think it was?

The two of them must have heard us on the bridge, as they turned their heads our way. Almost immediately, the blonde shot out of her seat and waved at us.

"_Hiiiiii, _lovebirds!" I sighed. "Hey, come over here!"

_'She's not going to let that go, is she?' _I tried to ignore the lovebird comment as we met up with the two of them at the table, making room for us to sit down. It was a squeeze, but we both managed to fit on the bench.

"So, Honoka, how's your _girlfriend? _" Mari asked with a wink, and before I could fully take it in the ginger quickly replied.

"She's fine, Mari! She had a little panic a few minutes ago, but -"

"C_ome oooon! _I knew you two would get together!" The blonde turned over to the purplenette. "You owe me five coins, Nozomi."

"Sorry, Mari, but I ain't counting that." She rebuked. "Askin' a loaded question like ain't proof they're dating. Besides, I thought we agreed those kinda tricks weren't allowed."

"Wait, wait…" I had to ask them. "Mari, you have a _bet _on us _dating?! _" It came off harsher than I had hoped for, but… a bet, on _dating? Here?!_

"Yeah. We're sorry we didn't tell you about it, Chika." It was Nozomi who apologised - but really, it's Mari's fault. "But in our defence, the Dating Pool's got loads of couplings, not just you two."

"Dating… Pool?"

"It was our idea. Well, mostly mine." The blonde added. "I didn't want to think about Monokuma telling us to kill each other, because, well… I don't like it when my friends hurt each other. So! I thought, 'what is the opposite of hurting each other?'"

"It's… love, right?"

"_Loooove! _I set up the Dating Pool with Nozomi so we could try and get people to get along and maybe fall in love, instead of having this… killing, game… that he wants." I still had objections to this, but… I guess it makes sense. Try and take away what this bear wants with the exact opposite of despair and hate.

"Yeah! And we're using our Monocoins as the prize pool!"

Wait, Honoka's _in _on _this_? And… "What are these… Monocoins?"

"They're your reward for good behaviour and exemplary achievement! Hey, Chika! Catch!" Monokuma, popping up over the side of the veranda, butted right into our chat and tossed me a small bag. It jingled as I caught it. "Oh, and Nozomi? Put me down for forty coins on the demon girl and the arrogant redhead getting together, would ya? Thanks!"  
And as suddenly as he appeared, the bear vanished again. Opening the bag he gave me (with caution) I found a few gold medals with his face printed on them - presumably, these are the Monocoins we were talking about.

Just as she was at lunch, the bear's appearance didn't seem to faze Nozomi at all, casually asking me if I wanted to put money down on a pairing. As I didn't really know everyone here, as well as the fact that, well, it's _weird_, I declined as politely as I could. "Besides, I came over to properly introduce myself."

"Well, I guess fair's fair. You've had to put up with us and our antics, so we'll give you our time. Honoka, I think Umi was headed up to the Pool. Could ya grab her and bring her here please?"

"Sure!" The ginger stood right up, and I moved out of the way so she could go and find Umi. "I'll be back as soon as I can!" Honoka declared, before heading off into the main part of the Academy. I waved her off and sat back at the table - but Mari had also started to move, so I quickly asked what she was doing.

"Oh, I'm just gonna head over to that fountain and ask Monokuma about having tea up in the veranda. It'd be a _Bellissimo _picture - and a place like this shouldn't be wasted like this." She then grabbed the extra coins on the table and walked down the bridge, leaving me alone with Nozomi.

"So it looks like I'll be first, then. Firstly, the name's Nozomi Tojo. Nice to meet ya." I didn't learn much about her during my research, other than that she's a very… how do you put it? She has a lot of wisdom and is willing to share it. "If ya wanna know, I was brought here as the Ultimate Spiritual Guide, so if ya have any problems you just come to me, okay?"

"I will, thanks." I was about to talk about myself a bit when I noticed the deck of cards I saw earlier still sitting there. Presuming they belonged to her, I asked about them.

"Ah, they're my tarot cards. I use 'em all the time for my fortune telling. I can show you now if ya want. Mari's still gone, so we got time." Fortune telling? I've honestly never really believed in this psychic mumbo-jumbo stuff. It all sounds like second-guessing, and a waste of time to me. That being said, it takes a lot of skill to do it in the first place, and if I wanted to get closer to her, I may as well try it out.

"Lovely!" She picked up the cards and started to shuffle them. "So, I thought I'd do a three card spread that should tell us more about what your future holds." The deck, now shuffled, was set back down in front of me. "Now, take a deep breath, Chika. Close your eyes, and focus only on your breathing."

I did as Nozomi said. She made me control my breathing and guided me through a relaxation session. I didn't know a lot about fortune telling or what you do for it, so I put myself in her hands. Pretty soon I was totally calm and relaxed, and I felt perfectly at ease with myself.

"Now, open your eyes, and keep breathing in, and out. I want you to draw three cards from the deck. Put the first one to your left, the second in front of you, and the third to your right - but keep the cards face down." I followed her words and put the three cards in front of me as she asked me to. "Now, just turn the cards over from left to right and I'll read your fortune out for ya."

This seemed to be the last of Nozomi's instructions. I still don't get how these three cards are going to 'determine my fate,' but hey! It's not gonna hurt, right?

I flipped the first card over, the one on my left, and was greeted with an image of a robed man riding a horse, several people begging around him. I wondered if the robed figure was important to them in some way, but I quickly saw the scythe he held in one hand and realised who it was. _Death._  
'That can't be a good card to get in a reading.'  
Sighing, I turned over the next card, which depicted a wolf sitting on a field. It was looking up towards the sky, where a full moon hung shining in the night sky. The whole image was quite serene.  
The final card I flipped showed a similar scene to the moon one, with a woman sitting by a pool under a starlit sky. One of the stars seemed to be larger and brighter than the others.

The fortune-teller studied me as I turned the cards over and gave them all a scrutinising look once I had finished, trying to draw some kind of meaning from them. I couldn't really tell what it all meant, or how it all came together, but she seemed to be piecing it together like it was some invisible puzzle. She was focused entirely on the cards while I sat there - until she looked up at me and told me that I was, apparently, blessed by the gods.

"E-eh?"

"This is a very good fortune, Chika. I'm a little jealous myself if I'm honest." She shot me a smile as she spoke. "You have the Star in your future and the Moon in your present. With Death in your past," _'That's a bit on the nose.' _"you're certainly prepared to face whatever Monokuma throws at you. You're gonna be just fine!"

"Thanks, Nozomi, but… what does it all mean? How do you know I'll be okay?"

"Well, we'll start with Death. I bet you're thinking 'but Death's a bad card!' Well, not if it's in the past. Here, anything that was holding you back before has all but lost its power over you in the now. Whatever it was, it shouldn't hurt you any more.

"The Moon in the present may be an ironic take on our situation - forced out of our comfort zones, out of our normal constraints, and forced into a killing game - as the bear often puts it. But if you shut out the noise he makes and just focus on yourself, then the Star laying in the future will lead you to the way out of here!"

"Really?" Did she get all of that from a few cards?

"It's what the cards are telling me, Chika." Her voice was almost mystical at this point. "They've given you a good outlook, so as long as you stay positive and keep hope in your heart, then you'll make it out of here alright."

"Wow, um…" She's good at this. "Thank you, Nozomi." It certainly made me feel a lot better about the situation we're in.

"It's no problem!"

I felt my eHandbook buzz in my pocket and judging by the way she reached for her pocket it seemed hers did too. I took mine out and turned it on, finding there was a new message to read. We decided to look at it together

_From: Headmaster  
__To: All Students_

**_RE: New and Updated Rules_**

_I've spoken with several students today about some of the rules. I don't want anyone to be confused about them, so I gave them a once over. Rules 6 and 8 have been changed, and two new rules have been added. Please make sure you read these new rules, and enjoy your school life to the fullest!_

Two new rules...

"Looks like Mari got her way, then!" Nozomi broke the silence. I guess she did. "Shall we check out these new rules, Chika?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." I opened up the regulations and skipped over to the new and changed rules:

**6\. Eating or drinking within the Indoor Garden is permitted only in the Veranda. As the Veranda is for the use of all students, they are responsible for clearing up any mess they make. Ignoring this will be seen as littering, which is strictly prohibited.**

**8\. The Headmaster will only ever interfere with student welfare to punish rule breaches. If a student is wrongly punished, then they will be forced to resign and all remaining students will automatically graduate.**

**12\. The Class Trials will continue until there are only two students remaining.**

**13\. Should the Mastermind of the Killing Game be identified, then all remaining students will graduate. After any incorrect guess, students who incorrectly guess the Mastermind's identity will be seen as failing in their studies, which is strictly prohibited.**

Looks like Mari did indeed get what she wanted - I looked over to the fountain where she said she would be and I couldn't see her, so she may have gone to make tea. But I can't really see what changed with the other rules, though…

"Someone gave us another way out of here." Nozomi said.

"Huh?" I did a double take on the changes when I saw rule 8 again.

**_If a student is wrongly punished, then they will be forced to resign and all remaining students will automatically graduate._**

If someone gets wrongly punished… Monokuma will be forced to quit… and we can get out of here…  
_'I don't think that's going to happen, though.' _I looked closer the new rules, to see what they meant.

"… until two students remain… Hey, Chika. What do you think that means?"

"Umm…" I read through it again. It seemed it was about the Class Trials. "I guess you can't really hold a proper trial for just two people."

"Hehe, I guess you're right. Anyways, look at this last rule. It could be our ticket outta here!" She read it out for us again. "If we figure out the Mastermind behind all this -"

"It's Monokuma," The thoughts rushed out of my head and my mouth. The Mastermind, it has to be whoever put us here in the first place, in this... killing game. "He's the one behind all this. He… he's the Mastermind!"


	7. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 5

"Oh? You think _I'm _the Mastermind?" Monokuma asked me, having once again appeared in the veranda. He seemed confused - and rightly so, having accused him of orchestrating this whole... killing game.

"Of course I do!" I shouted. "You brought us all here, trapped us in this school and then told us to kill each other! And when we do, you want us to hold an elaborate show for your own entertainment! You're obviously the Mastermind!" Nozomi, who sat across the table from me, nodded in agreement.

"Hmm… weeeell, I have to say it's a very good guess. I mean, you've figured out my motive for holding this little game, and pinned your unfortunate events to me." Is this an admission? Could we all be walking out of here right now?! Then again, it _was _Monokuma I was talking to, and I didn't trust anything he said one bit.  
"But do you _really _think I planned and built all this with just my _bear _hands?"

"H-huh?"

"Upupupupu. I may be the one running this show, but I'm sorry to say that this pretty face is not the Mastermind you're looking for! And you've wasted everyone's free guess a gooood… two minutes after I gave it out! That annoying redhead's gonna be _maaaad _when she finds out." The laugh he made as he jumped out of the Garden was so cruel, so sadistic. It seeped up all the hope we had and transformed it into a bone-chilling despair.

Oh. Oh no. I think I may have screwed up. Badly.  
Someone - Maki, I think - gave us all a chance to get out. And I blew it for everyone, almost immediately.

"Well, it was still a good guess, Chika." Nozomi tried to comfort me, but I felt the effort was wasted. "Hey, come on, now. At least we know now that bear ain't the Mastermind, right?"

"Yeah, but… we were all given a chance to make it out, and my big mouth ruined it for us." Keeping the dejection I felt out of my voice was tough.

"It ain't ruined at all. Ain't ruined at all. We still have that option, finding out who's behind all of this. We just gotta be a bit more careful about it, now that he'll punish us if we get it wrong."

Yeah, but… I still screwed up. That hasn't changed. I heard the sound of a tray being set on the table and, assuming it was Mari, looked around for her. I couldn't see the blonde, but then I felt a pair of hands close around my chest - she was right behind me!

"_Oooooh! _I've heard a lot about you from Kanan, but _these! _" she squeezed her hands, and I couldn't help but gasp. "Are _amazing! _You may even give her a run for her money one day!"

"Kyaaa! Wha... What the hell, Mari?!"

"Well, _bella, _you were looking a little down over there, so I thought I'd try and get your mind off of it!"

"By _groping _me?!" The blonde still had a hold on me, and I didn't dare resist - lest she tightened her grip.

"But, you ain't thinkin' about your mess up now, right?" Nozomi pointed out.

"I- I… That's not the point!" The fortune teller started laughing at how childlike I sounded, but I couldn't - no, I wouldn't - admit I was no longer upset about my rash mistake, and to my surprise felt a lot better.

Mari soon let go of me and sat down next to Nozomi, both sporting wicked grins as they took cups of tea in their hands and chatted about the rule changes. I pouted back at them, my chest aching after the blonde's treatment of them. As I helped myself to a glass of orange juice, my eHandbook pinged - I thought I knew what it was about, and a look at the rules section confirmed it. I had wasted everyone's free guess at the Mastermind, as that bear had told me.

**13\. Should the Mastermind of the Killing Game be identified, then all remaining students will graduate. Students who incorrectly guess the Mastermind's identity will be seen as failing in their studies, which is strictly prohibited.**

A small change. A sentence removed. Yet it had so much impact on me, on us. My rashness at wrongly calling out Monokuma as the Mastermind had cost everyone a chance to escape. I didn't want to let it keep me down, but…  
I certainly screwed up big time.

_'Relax, Chika. You can't change the past. Focus on the present.' _

Shaking my head, I took a sip from the juice and listened to Mari and Nozomi's conversation, just as the latter was asking if the blonde really did know about me.

"Mmm, yes! I already know quite a bit about Chika-chi from Kanan. Never actually met her before today, though."

Chika... chi? Did she give me a nickname, even though we don't know each other?

"Ahh. And what exactly did she tell you about her?" Her description of me was pretty much spot on. Pretty normal, optimistic at best, close to my friends, but nothing about me particularly stands out. Just like my mysterious 'Ultimate ?' talent."

"_Interesting. Since it stayed like that on your profile, then it's unlikely to be a mistake. If that's true, then there are two possibilities. The first is that Monokuma thinks you have a talent that'd put him at a disadvantage in this game. By obscuring said talent, you would find it harder to utilise it."_

_"Wait, did you say-" _

_"The second is much simpler." She moved in closer, her voice almost a whisper. "Your invitation was simply a mistake, and you were never meant to be here. In other words, _you don't have a talent._"_

Or lack of.

"Hey, Chika-chi! Did Kanan tell you much about me?"

"Huh?" That caught me out. "Well, um… Kanan didn't talk a lot about you, and honestly, I never asked her either." The blonde frowned a little. "But, I know that you're a kind person, very smart and eccentric and, er... rich."

"Mm! You certainly know more about me than you think, _bella! _So, if you know all that, I bet you can work out my talent!"

Her talent? Hmm… if she's rich, and smart, and kind… "I don't know, but is it something like the Ultimate Businesswoman?"

"_Oooh, _that's a close guess. Certainly the closest I've had so far! Being a businesswoman is a part of my talent, but it isn't actually my talent."

"Then, what _is _your talent?" I asked her. I was admittedly very curious about it now.

"Well, Chika-chi!" She suddenly stood up, with a look of grandeur and glamour in her eyes and movement. "I, Mari Ohara, am the Ultimate… Affluent… _Progeny! _"

Ultimate Affluent… "Huh?"

"It means she's smart and filthy rich, Chika!" Nozomi explained in a wicked tone.

"Ooh, _no no no. _" She lamented. "It's much more than being smart and rich. You've gotta have the energy and passion to use those smarts and be a _shiny _progeny!"

_Be shiny.  
_"Wow. Mari, that sounds amazing!" I remember wanting to shine myself, with my own (mystery) talent, when I decided to accept the invitation to Hope's Peak. And now that I'm here, meeting all these Ultimates for myself - with their immense auras and skills, all of them shining themselves - it all seems so unreachable to me. I want to shine, but I don't know how. Especially in this situation.

"So, what abou-"

"Chiiiikaaaaa! Guyyyys! Heeeeeey!" The bright voice of Honoka cut Mari off as she made her way to the veranda, with Kotori and a bemused looking blue-haired girl following her in. "I found Umi over in the AV room with Kotori, so I brought her over as well!" She explained, with her signature sunny smile - and the blonde seemed to reciprocate it.

"Well then, _welcome! _Have a seat, and drink some tea."

"Thank you, Mari." The bluenette, who I presumed was Umi, bowed with a smile before sitting next to Nozomi on her bench.

**[UMI SONODA: Ultimate Archer]**

I scooched over to Mari's end of the bench, while Honoka and the ashen-haired girl filled the space that I left. As the newcomers took some drinks the ginger asked what we were talking about, which Nozomi briefly recapped. "You came just as we were about to ask Chika about her own talent, but I think she'll want to do introductions first?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." It was a good opportunity to get to know the people Honoka found, but not sharing that I don't know my talent is another bonus. "Um, can I start with Kotori if it's okay? I kind of ran away the last time I tried to talk to her."

"Wait. You _ran _from her?" Umi asked, understandably. From what I've seen so far, she's an incredibly sweet person - not someone who would scare anyone, so I told her what had happened. "Oh, I see then. You must really care about her Chika, even now. I'm sure she'll be happy to know that." I nodded.

"Ehehe." Kotori laughed. "You was a very important person to you, and the two of us probably looking alike probably spooked you. Like I said, it's alright." Her voice was sweet as honey, but there was just… _something _about it that unsettled me. I couldn't quite tell what it was, to be honest, so I put it aside for now and asked more about herself.

"Okay then, I'll start at the beginning. I'm Kotori Minami, the Ultimate Fashionista. I do a bit of modelling for other companies, but my true love is designing and making my own clothes and accessories." She did a quick twirl to show off her dress. "Just let me know if you want me to make something for you." She finished with a wink in my direction, and I couldn't tell if it was playful, flirty or some kind of threat.

"_Wooow, _Kotori! That's incredible!" Mari praised the fashionista, not noticing the strange aura she gave off. _'Maybe it's just me.' _I thought. "I wonder how Umi's going to top that?" The bluenette then stood up and cleared her throat.

"My name is Umi Sonoda. I was invited here as the Ultimate Archer, but my work at my family dojo has also made me an expert in both traditional dance and martial arts. If you would like me to teach you, I would be more than happy to." She bowed as she ended her introduction and sat back down. I read about her before I arrived, but seeing her in person - her icy cool yet kind, warm aura - left me in awe.

"Thanks, Umi. I might take you up on that someday." The archer expressed her gratitude.

"_Alright! _Your turn, Chika-chi!" Mari proclaimed, and five sets of eyes were focused on me. "Give it your best, sweetie!"

"Okay, umm…"

How was I going to do this? Especially with my 'talent' - is there an easy way to say I don't know if I have one? And how would they all react? Fear? Disgust? Maki seems to be dismissive of me when she thought I had no talent, so would everyone turn their backs on me as well?

There was no way out of this. I may as well just go for it and hope for the best.

"You guys already know my name, Chika Takami. I'm from a seaside town called Uchiura, and… honestly, I'm not the most interesting person around. But like Mari told me earlier," The blonde shot me a wink at this, "I'm a fairly friendly and optimistic person, and I'd very much like to get to know you all better." My introduction wasn't as good as the others, but I acted as though it was the best thing I've ever done.

"It all sounds swell, Chika." Nozomi commented, "But we all wanna know what your mystery talent is."

"Well, um…"

"I wanna know too!" An energetic Honoka cried out. "You could be a dinosaur trainer for all I know… Omigod, you're the Ultimate Dinosaur Trainer, aren't you?!" The ginger's face seemed to light up with this thought. I was terrified of it. Umi just sighed.

"Honoka, it's unlikely she's the… Ultimate Dinosaur Trainer, because dinosaurs are _extinct. _"

"But _Umiiiiii_, you could make new dinos with the DNA thingies, like in that movie I watched. THEN she can train them!"

"But that's just - ugh, never mind. Let Chika tell us her talent." The bluenette dropped the fight, and the focus was back on me.

"The thing is though... Honoka could be right. I could be the Ultimate Dinosaur Trainer. Or the Ultimate Tour Guide or Ultimate… Whatever. I don't know what my Ultimate Talent is. I don't even know _if _I have one." As I finished, I felt the weight of my words, working their way into the others, press down on me. Like hawks circling their prey.


	8. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 6

A few moments passed in an uneasy silence, with the air filled with a mix of curiosity, confusion… was it me, or could I feel _anger _coming from them?  
"You… don't know your own talent?" Umi asked me. I nodded, taking a small sip of my juice. This silent judging, it was what I was worried about. "And you think it's possible you don't have one?" I nodded again, feeling downtrodden. I'm someone talentless, in a school made of talent. If I met anyone like that I'd doubt them immediately - which I'm sure the others here are thinking right now, about me.

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but… it's the truth. And I know what me not having a real talent means."

"Yeah…" Honoka sighed, almost in condemnation.  
"It means, without a talent, I shouldn't even be here with you guys. I'm just a plain girl with nothing special about her."  
"No, silly! It means you could still be the Ultimate Dinosaur Trainer!"

"… Huh?" What was she getting at?

"You _have _got a talent, Chika! I mean, it's one you or we don't know yet, but it's still an Ultimate talent, right?"

"Err...right, yeah. But-"

"SO! Don't go round saying you haven't got one, or you don't deserve to be here, or anything like that! All we gotta do is figure out what that talent is and you'll be feeling great, right? Right!"

"I…" Damn it, how is she so _good_ at cheering me up? I reckon it could have something to do with her own talent - but that gets me thinking about how I can't do anything like that. "Thanks, Honoka. But, it still doesn't mean I actually _belong _here."

"I'd have to agree with Honoka, Chika." Umi said, in her calm radiance. "We may not know what 'Ultimate ?' means, but it is still Ultimate. And though I doubt it's being a dinosaur trainer, ("_UUUUMIIIIIIII! _Don't ruin my dreeeeams!") it's probably going to be impressive. So please, stop thinking that you don't belong here, because you do." A smile began forming on my face again.

"Everything that's happened to ya so far has meant to happen. Even if ya don't think you've got a talent, you're still the most important person around here I've seen. Hell, with the fortune you have, and that guardian angel of yours watchin' over, you may even see this killing game through!  
"And if you're still feelin' down after _that_, I know someone who can perk ya right up!" Nozomi added mischievously, as Mari squeezed her hands together, in my direction. I knew what that meant, and that was trouble.

"No, no! It's okay! I'm fine, I'm fine!" It was hard to hide the panic from the threat of having my breasts fondled again. "Seriously, Honoka, Umi… thanks for that. I mean it."

"Ehehe, it's alright! We'll work out your awesome talent, and make our way outta here before you know it! Oh! And we'll visit Uchiura one day as well!"

"That sounds wonderful!" _'Honoka sure is incredible.' _"But first we actually have to get out of here."

"Yeah. And we've got to make friends and stick together to do that… Oh, speaking of that, we gotta get moving, Chika! There's some people you still need to meet!" The ginger shot up, eager for me to follow her around the rest of the school and pretty much startling us all.

"H-heh? We have to go _now? _" I protested, and Umi's and Kotori's faces matched my own. "But we just got here!"

"Maybe the others haven't been here long, Chika-chi, but I'm sure you've spent quite a bit of _free time _with us." Mari said.

"And as much as we love ya, honey, you've still gotta go round and meet everyone, right?" The fortune teller added. "Besides, you can always come back and talk to us again if ya want!" I began to think about what they said - because it's hardly been long since I came to the Veranda! I mean, between learning about the Dating Pool, having my fortune told, calling Monokuma out, drinking orange juice and introducing myself to everyone…  
Okay, I _may _have been here a while.

"Yeah, you're right. It's not like anyone else is just going to show up here, either." I finished my drink and got up. Umi and Kotori also decided to head off, wanting to get back to help the others at the Entrance Hall. "You guys… thanks for the drinks, and… everything else."

"_No problemo! _We'll see you again for more tea, yeah?" The blonde asked us.

"Yeah!" I replied, and I genuinely meant it. Nozomi and Mari… they can be a little weird and eccentric, but I'd also say they really mean well. I don't think there's a bad bone in either of them. We all said our goodbyes and Umi, Kotori, Honoka and I left the Veranda, making our way back to the heart of the Garden. As we passed by a flower bed filled with tulips and lilies, I asked Honoka where we were going next on our introduction tour.

"Leeeet's seeeee…" The ginger took out her eHandbook in response and studied the map provided. "Ah! Yoshiko's in her dorm room with Maru! We should go there next!"  
"Really? How'd you know that?"

"I think the eHandbooks have a mobile tracking feature." Kotori explained. "As long as you have yours with you, we'll always know where you are." That smile she shot at the end made it a _lot _creepier than it should have been, and I wondered whether it was intentional or not.

"If something ever happens to one of us," Umi continued, completely oblivious to her… behaviour; I couldn't think of a better word. "then we should be able to hopefully reach them before..." I knew both what she was going to say, and why she trailed off into an awkward silence. No one wanted to believe one of us could…  
"We should get going, Kotori. It was nice to meet you, Chika. I hope you stay safe and find out your talent."

"You two look after each other, okay?" The greynette read the sudden shift in both topic and atmosphere well, as her voice was filled with worry… I think. No, it was.

"Of course! It was nice to meet you too!" Again, I genuinely meant it.

"Have fun, you guys!" Honoka chimed in, as they waved farewell and headed towards the Entrance Hall. Not long after, we left the Garden altogether and found ourselves back in the foyer of Hope's Peak.

Umi Sonoda… she was everything I had expected and _more _of the Ultimate Archer. Cool and relaxed, dignified, composed. Well spoken and encouraging. It was very hard for me not to admire her. As for Kotori, she was nice. Sweet and endearing. But I still couldn't shake off that nagging feeling there was something just _off _with her. As Honoka and I made our way to the dorms I… I had to ask her about it. It was bothering me too much.

"Hey, Honoka, wait." She ground to a stop and turned to me. "It may not be my place to ask, but does Kotori seem a little, I don't know… _intense_, to you?"

"Intense? What do you mean by… oh, yeah. She's always been a bit like that!" She noticed the concern on my face. "Er… Yeah! She's fine! I know she wouldn't hurt anyone! Really!"

"Really?" I didn't quite believe her. Of all the people I've met so far, she seems the most dangerous.

"Mmm!" Her enthusiastic nodding mixed with a slightly panicked tone did _not _help. "We've been friends forever - me, Kotori and Umi. And yeah, she kinda scares me sometimes as well," _'This is _not _helping me relax.' _"but Kotori's one of the nicest people I know! There's no way she'd actually _hurt _anyone!"

"Hmm…" I still didn't quite believe her, but it was a very emotional defence. And as it was her childhood friend I didn't blame her for it. In fact, if it was me and Kanan, or Riko, or… or You, if she were still here...  
I would be doing the same thing.

"Alright, I'll believe you, Honoka. But, I still want to keep an eye on her, if that's okay." The ginger seemed to agree with me. In my head, it was a balanced response between trusting my new friend and - well, trying to stay alive.

Deciding the matter would be better put to rest, we passed through the glass doors into the dormitories. I tried to quickly tally how many dorms there were - I think six doors sat in the block in front of me - three on either side - and flanked by corridors. My dorm is in its own block, and I remember passing by another set of doors when I came to this afternoon. Which means... "There are eighteen of us, right?"  
I didn't get an immediate response. She had a look of deep concentration or worry on her face. Probably concentration. "Honoka?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Eighteen students!"

"Which means I've introduced myself to… eleven, I think?" Honoka, Riko, Kanan, Ruby and Dia, Maki, Eli… Nozomi, Mari, Umi and Kotori… "Yeah, eleven."

"Mmm…" This was seriously un-Honoka. I don't know her too well, but she was very out of character - and it scared me.

"Hey, Honoka. Are you okay?" Maybe my chat about Kotori bothered her more than I thought?

"Oh? Oh, I'm fine, Chika. I'm thinking about finding some bread, is all." Oh. Is that really it? Or is there something else she won't tell me? Maybe she really _is_ worried, and doesn't want to say it out loud…  
Either way, she probably needs a break, after everything she's done for me so far.

"Hey. Why don't you go and get something to eat? I think I can take Yoshiko by myself." Her sky blue eyes stared right into me, and when I looked back they started to light up like a Christmas tree.

"Seriously?" I think I just made her day - over _bread _\- because she started to bounce and jump around on the spot before locking me into her embrace. "Thank you thank you THANK YOUUUUU!" Less than a second later, she raced over to the Cafeteria and presumably where her precious bread awaited her.

That… was _certainly_ something.

Taking a minute to compose myself, I headed down the dormitories, checking the nameplates on the doors to see which one belonged to Yoshiko Tsushima (I found her full name and talent, Ultimate Lucky Student, on my eHandbook.) I passed by the dorms of_ N. Tojo_, _K. Matsuura_, _R. Sakurauchi_… Huh? My eyes were drawn to a plate with no clear name I could read, but the caricature… it looked so eerily like You. Kind of like when I first saw Kotori, but… Ugh, I'm just seeing things again. Why is everything I think about today making me think about You? I mean, I've been fine for- well, as fine as I could be for the last year or so. So what is it about _today _that's working me up about her so much? This... killing game? Kotori?

I tore my head away from the plate before I gave myself a headache and moved on. Good thing I did, because the next door I came across was the one I needed to go to.

* * *

_He'd been tracking her for the last few weeks, all across Sakaide. The job sounded simple, in theory. An extraordinary young girl who'd been living here for the last few months - but very few people have actually met her. Distinctive sea blue eyes and ashen-brown hair. Yet everyone he's pressed about her had very little to give in leads. _ _Simple, in theory. In practice… it was taking every ounce of his skill to find her. He only had her name, a portrait, and her skill.  
__Marina Estrela. Sailor._

_He had covered almost every inch of the town looking for her, and he still very much had only what he started with. Without a lead, this would be impossible alone. But the Ultimate Detective wouldn't give up. Yet._  
_He just hoped his contact would answer the video call._

_"How the hell did you get this- Oh, Shuichi! Hey!" _

_"Kokichi…" He was the last person he wanted to ask for help, but needs must. "I need your help with something." _

_"'Hey, Kokichi, how've you been?' 'Fine, thanks! Just recruited another world leader into my secret evil organisation, so going well here. How about you?' Ugh! Since when did you suddenly care so much about your work?!" _

_"I've always cared about my work, and you know that._ _ I just need another head to think about a case I'm having trouble with." There was a brief pause on the line. "Kokichi?" _

_"Huh, what? Oh, sorry. Just making a note that the great Shuichi Saihara asked me, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, for help on his detective work." He was clearly enjoying this. "Sure, I'll help you out! __Just as long as you pay me for it." _

_He knew this payment would be unorthodox, but right now he didn't care. He sent a copy of the files and his notes (with some details redacted) to his contact and waited for him to read it. There were a few 'hmms' and 'ahhhs' before he finished. _

_"So, what do you think?" _

_"I think… you should take me out to dinner one day." _

_"H-Huh? Seriously?" He expected the contact to say something like that, but for it to be so personal? That came out of nowhere. _

_"Of course not! It's a lie! Why would I date someone trying to catch me? And what about Kaede? Oh! Tell her I said hi!" _

_"Please, Kokichi. Get back to the case." _

_"Oh, aaaallllll riiiight." He took another look at the files. "This _maaaay _be a hunch, but I think your missing person's using a fake name." _

_"A fake name?" _

_"A fake name." Another pause. "What, are you not gonna say it back this time?" _

_"I don't have time to play your games. I'm just wondering why she's using a fake name." _

_"Heeey, you said it baaack!" _

_"…" _

_"This 'Marina Estrela' is someone that, for one reason or another, doesn't want to be found. Maybe it's a deep trauma or a new life thing, but she's done a good job of covering her tracks. Annnnd you say that none of the locals have seen her in food stores?" _

_"That's true." _

_"Which means she's either stealing food or going to different markets across town, to keep a low profile. It could also mean she's vulnerable, and the locals are trying to keep her safe. People are so quick to lie for a good cause. _

_"So, Shuichi! Was I helpful? Am I your deputy officer now?" _

_"That was… extremely helpful, Kokichi. Thanks." A fake name, trying to hide and visiting/stealing from different stores… he could see the pieces fall together now. _

_"Nyee-hee-hee! It's totally fiiine! Now, I've gotta hang up. The Prime Minister's trying to call me and you're hogging the line."  
__And just like that, Kokichi ended the call._

_He wondered if the Prime Minister really _was _calling him, but it was probably a lie. He was always a liar, even back at school. But he also knew he was incredibly intelligent - possibly the smartest person he knew - and any insight he got from him was going to be useful, if true._

_With a renewed confidence, he called the head of police and asked about any unsolved thefts and vulnerable people living in Sakaide. Within the hour he came across a new lead. The next day, more solid information came from that. By the end of the week, he stood outside the door of a run-down apartment building. It didn't take long between ringing the doorbell and a person matching the description of his target to open up and peer out. _

_"Marina Estrela?" The girl looked him up and down with piercing blue eyes that, despite her age, have seen a lot of pain.  
__"Who's asking?" She replied, rather harshly. He stayed calm and cool. Detective work puts you with people like this, and he knew exactly how to handle this._


	9. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 7

Knocking on the door with the _Y. Tsushima _nameplate, I tried to relax and waited patiently for a response. It didn't help that this dorm room was particularly close to the huge red doors at the end of the hall. From here, they stood ominously over the school, and whether it was the air conditioning or how they stuck out I couldn't tell - but they filled me with a sense of dread, especially when I knew what would happen beyond them.

_'The Class Trials…' _I wondered about what Monokuma meant by them. I know for the next few days he said there won't be one if someone… no. I can't think that someone would actually _kill _to get out of here. But a nagging feeling in the back of my head kept saying that, eventually… it's going to happen. That someone, anyone, is going to crack under the pressure and-  
"Oh? Chika, is it? Is everything okay, zura?" A brown-haired girl on the other side of the door asked me. I'll have to thank her for snapping me out of that thought.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks… it's Hanamaru, right?" The girl didn't look like the caricature on the door's nameplate, and if Hanamaru is the only other person in this dorm, then she must be Maru.

"Yep. I'm Hanamaru Kunikida, the Ultimate Librarian. But you can call me Maru if you want, zura. I guess you're here to introduce yourself, right?" I nodded. From the way she spoke and the nature of her talent, I got a vibe of someone who is very well thought. I just hoped she wouldn't be like Maki - clever, but cold and demeaning.

"Well, come on in, zura. Yoshiko's in the bathroom right now, and there's no point in you standing out here in the hallway." She opened the door fully and, thanking her, I walked into the dorm - and it immediately took me back.

I only have my own room to compare to, but it felt like another world entirely. While my walls had a dull orange coat of paint, this one had impressively ornate stonework, lit up by electric candles every few feet. It was almost like a dungeon in a sense - and the furniture, old-fashioned and well aged, added to the feel. This in itself should have made the room feel cold, but it was surprisingly warm.

"Yoshikoooo! We have a guest, zura!" Maru called out to Yoshiko, who replied with a curt "It's Yohane!" before saying she'd be out in a minute. Taking a seat at the table, I noted how close the two of them were, despite their bickering.

"Yeah. I know Yoshiko can be a bit loud and overwhelming sometimes, but we've been best friends since preschool, zura." She seemed to enjoy talking about her, but if I remember the lunch meeting when she was speaking… I think she was the one with the demon act? "You don't have to worry about her fallen angel shtick, she won't actually hurt anyone, zura."

_'She read my mind! Or am I just that easy to read?' _

"Oh, okay, umm… can I ask what a 'zura' is, then?" Maru seems to keep saying it, and it's not a word or thing I've heard of before.

"Zura? Oh, sorry! I don't mean to say it, it's just a verbal tic, zura! Oh! Sorry!" Her face was turning a shade of red, and whether I hit a nerve with it worried me.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Maru. I just wondered what it-"

_*rattle, rattle*_

"Was…" Whatever we were going to say next was lost by the sound of a door shaking. "Is that Yoshiko? Is she alright?"

"Yohane!" Was the reply I got through the bathroom door. "And I'm perfectly fine! It's just, this door's a little stuck." The mouse-haired girl was not buying her excuse, and I found it weird too. We asked if she still had the door locked. "Yes, I unlocked the door, Zuramaru, and -"

_*rattle, rattle* _

"It still won't open!" I could feel frustration was starting to set into her voice.

"Here, let me try, zura." She grabbed the handle, turned it and…

_*rattle, rattle* _

Nothing. I tried it as well and was met with the same result. The door just wouldn't move. This was becoming a big problem. Yoshiko was stuck inside a room, and if she couldn't get out… she won't be able to eat. Maru seemed to sense the urgency as well, and we asked her if we could do anything to help.

"Kehehe. I only ask you, my little demons, to lend me your strength and your will." I think this is her demon act kicking in. "Do I have your support?"

"O-of course." I trusted Maru when she said Yoshiko was harmless, but as I didn't know her I still didn't want to take any chances.

"Then, as the Fallen Angel Yohane, I shall invoke my true powers. Mighty Cerberus, who guards the sacred gates to the Underworld, heed my call for aid. Lend me your strength and grant your loyal servant passage through to the next realm!" A picture of the demon girl making some ridiculous gestures formed in my head, as she confidently reached out to the handle, filling it with her powers(?) and -

_*rattle, rattle* _

Nothing happened.

"Open up, you piece of shit!" She yelled angrily as she started to push and shake the door - how _dare _it not open up to the Fallen Angel Yohane! Its insolence must be punished!

During all this rattling, the way the door moved caught my attention. Slowly, an idea popped into my head.

"Yoshiko, let me-"  
"_YOHANE!_"  
"Er… Yohane, let me try the door again. I may be able to open it." The shaking stopped, and I took her place. I twisted the handle with one hand, and with the other lifted the door. And slowly, slowly… it moved, revealing the blue-haired demon girl, jaw agape. "One of the hinges is loose. You have to lift it up as you turn it, it'll realign the door." This happened at the inn a few weeks ago. We had to show this to the guests who used that room.

"... I knew that." Yoshiko said, rather unconvincingly. "It had just slipped my mind. Nevertheless, you have served me well. I hereby anoint you as one of my elite little demons, er…"

"Chika," Maru whispered to her friend.

"Chika!" I was embraced as though I had become a revered hero in her eyes, and a few minutes later we were all sat around her table with all sorts of food and drinks, a pitch black cape hanging loosely from my shoulders. Maru told me to just go with it, as I asked Yoshi… er, Yohane, about herself, and how she became a 'fallen angel.'

"Kehehe. I was once one of the most beautiful and powerful angels, able to command others to my whim. God, however, feared me and, stripping me of my powers, cast me down to the mortal realm. Now, I recruit new little demons to my cause, to fall and descend with me to the underworld."  
…What? That made no sense.  
"Zuramaru here was one of my first recruits and has proven her loyalty over the years. Her work in sorting ancient records and almanacs has more than proven herself as the Ultimate Librarian and guardian of the sacred archives of the angels."

"Well, I also do work on restorations and hand copies of older works, zura. It's not just sorting out books, Yoshiko."

"Really? That sounds amazing!"

"It really is." The demon girl replied before Maru could. "Without her work, my cause may not have taken off." Maru shot her friend an appreciative smile, and seeing the two of them interact, worlds apart in personalities, yet so in sync with each other… I found it so wonderfully sweet.

"And what about your talent, Yoshiko? It says here you're the Ultimate… Lucky Student? What does that mean?" How is _luck _even a talent?

"It just means she's lucky, zura."

"It's not that simple Zuramaru!" Yoshiko protested. "What you mortals see as luck or fortune, is merely my will and desires made manifest."

"Then what about that broken bathroom door? Was that the will of Yohane, zura?" Her cheeky reply was met with a loud "Kyaa!" from the angel. "Don't worry about it Chika. This kind of thing happens to her a lot."

"Huh?"

"She may be the Ultimate Lucky Student, but Yoshiko's usually on the receiving end of bad luck. Slipping on ice, tripping over loose tiles… she's a walking calamity, zura. But I think, if she really, _really _wants something to happen then... heaven and earth will move to make it happen for her. In a way, she's lucky if it grants her wishes, zura."

"Then, does it mean she really _has _some kind of power?" It sounds incredibly far-fetched, having super luck as a power. But at this point, being trapped in Hope's Peak Academy with a crazy teddy bear telling us to… to kill each other, I was willing to accept it was possible.

"I guess so, zura." Maru answered, and we noticed the demon girl still sulking. "Hey, Yoshiko. You've still been a great help, zura. We know about the Class Trials because _you _found Monokuma by the doors. And the poisons mixed around the Kitchen and Infirmary, we know about because _you _found them. And… oh! Chika! Yoshiko," She pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to me, "also found _this _photograph, zura. If you take a look, you'll see why it's important." I took the photo and tried to find what she was talking about. It wasn't hard, really.

I quickly picked out the vibrant flowers and elegant stonework of the Indoor Garden, and the radiant smiles of eighteen… different…  
"What the hell?" These people, grouped together in the photo… they're _us_. Honoka and I were at the front, Riko, Kanan and Umi flanking us. Eli and Dia to the one side, with Ruby nearby. Nozomi and Mari to the other. Everyone else, all huddled up, all smiles, all friends. And I had no idea when this was taken.

"What… is this?" I… what even _is _this photo?

"We've asked everyone here about it, but so far its' mysteries have eluded us." Yoshiko said, but her words bounced off me. It… it didn't seem to be old, or, or _real_. For all we know this could be a trap by Monokuma, to try and confuse us, divide us. Put us against each other.

I scanned the image again to try and find something that proved this was real, or fake, or… whatever. Nico Yazawa's signature pose ringing out…  
Maki, slightly irritated at being dragged out for this picture…  
Yoshiko in the midst of her demon act…

Wait a minute.

My eyes were drawn over to the girl next to Riko, the one wearing a pristine captain's jacket and matching white gloves. A tidy cap completed the look, sitting on a bed of ashen-grey hair sitting in a bob, looking towards the camera, with deep, blue eyes… that shone like the sea… and a smile… endless…  
as…  
the ocean...

"Hey, Maru, that girl there… who is that? She looks kind of familiar." Of course, I didn't want to say she was a ghost, but...  
"Hmm? Oh, her. That's You Watanabe, zura. Not exactly world famous, but she's the Ultimate Sailor - went around the world. She's spent almost all her time here at the Pool, I think because it reminds her of the sea, zura."

… what?

_"Relax, Chika! Mama and Papa are with me, I'll be back before you even know it! Now, set a course for the new world! _Zenzoku zenshin! Yousoro!_"_

_"The Watanabes we're caught in a storm, off the coast of Portugal. They told me rescue teams worked around the clock when they got the distress signal, but… their ship was wrecked when they arrived."_  
…

No…  
_"Kanan… Chika… It's likely that You and her family are dead."_  
No… it's impossible. She… died.  
She's dead.  
She… she died! In that storm! But then… how can she be in that photo if she's dead? And how does Maru know her too?! There's no way she'd know her, she's gone! She's dead!

Is she?

I mean, today I learned that this school's a prison, that a killer black-and-white bear runs the place, and someone can possibly change their luck to make their wishes come true. Is it also possible that You came back from the dead? I…  
I couldn't think straight, I needed to get to the Pool, wherever it is. I need to see with my own eyes, whether You is alive, and here… or not. I don't know.

"Hey, guys, um…" My heart and my head were racing at a mile a minute, and it leaked into my trembling voice. "There's still a few people I need to meet, so, ah…"  
"No worries, Chika." Maru replied before I asked if I could be excused. "It's already been a long day, zura. For all of us." We all stood up, Yoshiko having cheered up a little, and headed back to the door. "Just promise you'll take care of yourself, okay?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." I tried composing myself, but failed - there was a slight quiver in my voice. From the rush of emotions I was going through. And by the concern etched on their faces, Maru and Yoshiko had picked up on that. "We'll talk again later, right?"

"Of course, zura!"  
"Go forth, little demon, and take our dark blessings with you." Yoshiko finished.

With fond farewells and promises of friendship made, I left the dorm room and moved with confidence - and when I heard the door close, stopped right in my tracks.  
_'Pool. Pool, Pool, Pool…' _I looked at my eHandbook map for the room Maru said she would be in, and found it at the end of the corridors west of the dormitories. With shaking feet I headed towards my next destination. And while I walked, You was constantly in my thoughts - days at preschool, beach time, diving trips with Kanan… those precious memories we made…  
Riko's ocean melodies rose up in my mind as I found myself in front of a set of doors labelled as _POOL_. Hesitation stopped me from immediately opening them. Will she really be there? Will I recognise her? Will she recognise me? Questions and doubts swam with the flowing notes of music, threatening to drown me.

Without thinking, my hands took the door handles in their grip, telling me to go through - into the unknown. As they turned, the songs grew louder, more dominant, screaming at me to let it go, let the past rest. But this… this couldn't stay buried. Not here. Not now. Not… not anymore.  
The doors clicked. I opened them up. And stepped through the threshold.

"There's swimsuits in the changing rooms over there." A stern voice rose from the edge of the water. A figure sat, with her feet in the water, staring at something I couldn't see. But I focused on the girl by the water, and quickly, I picked out the clean white jacket and gloves… a cap on grey hair…  
Exactly how she looked in that photograph.

"Hey, you. Are you just gonna stand there or-" She turned to me, and was silenced. Sea blue eyes shot up and met with my amethysts. And at that moment…

"Ch… Chika?"

Everything…  
All those memories we made together, the smiles we shared… the pain I felt when I lost her...  
It all came back, in a rush.

"_You?! _"

For so long, she was gone. Dead. At the bottom of some sea, somewhere in the world. And now, here at Hope's Peak… She came back. From the dead. To here. Here.

…

Here doesn't matter.  
The others don't matter.  
Monokuma, and this… Killing Game… don't matter.  
None of this matters.  
Not now.

She…  
_She _matters.  
You matters.  
You's here.

You's… You's _alive. _

**[YOU WATANABE: Ultimate Sailor]**


	10. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 8

"Ch… Chika?"  
"_Y__ou?!_"

Riko's songs were silenced in an instant. The pressures of the… Killing Game, wiped away. New faces I met today were shoved aside, as I absorbed every tiny detail of the girl who had just stood up.  
A girl all too familiar to me.  
You Watanabe. My childhood friend, who left for a sailing trip around the world. Who got caught in a storm, and seemingly died.  
But here she is, standing in front of me. Somehow, she's still… still… _ alive_. She looks exactly as I remember her too, if only a little older.

"Hey, Chika." She said, after a while - I was still too shaken to even utter a sound. My god, even her voice was the same. Maybe a little rougher than I remember, but it still sent me back to those simpler days. "I guess it's been a while, huh?"  
_ 'A… a while?' _'A while' felt like an understatement. I mean, it's been, what? Four years now? Since she left on her trip? Since I last saw her? And, three since I learned about that storm. The storm that had claimed her life - or what I believed had happened. I was still struggling to put my thoughts into words when You had wrapped her arms around me, sitting her head on my shoulders.

"I missed you, Chika." Sadness filled her quiet voice. "I missed you so, _ so _ much." Hands desperate for my warmth clung to me - and slowly, I returned the gesture, bringing my own arms around her. Never, never ever ever, never in a million years had I expected to have You in my embrace again.

"You…" My own words were barely a whisper, as my mind committed this moment to memory. Her scent was a mix of the pool's chlorine and some foreign flavour, maybe something she picked up on her world trip. My fingers idly drifted across her hair, wavy and soft, as I remember it. "That storm, in Portugal… I thought… I thought you were dead."

"Me too. I thought it was all over for me." She lifted her head up and looked at me with those blue eyes, and beneath the memories of joyful days, I saw something else within them - something that stung her all over. "But you know me, Chika. It'll take a lot more than some rain to keep me down!" The small laugh at the end felt forced.

"Y-Yeah, you've always been tough…" Our hands ran down each other's arms, not wanting to truly let each other go. As I ran down her right arm, however, loose fingers grazed over tiny abrasions and sharp edges - like some kind of brace. It also felt oddly… cold? A strange kind of cold, too; the room was warm, and the water had to be heated too. Not only that, there was nothing on the other arm that was strange or out of place - just her right arm. "Hey, You? Can I ask…" My curiosity got the better of me. "Did… did something happen to your arm?"  
This made her snap her own hands back. "Huh? That? Er… it's, ah, it's nothing! Nothing for you to worry about!" She cried in a panic, grasping her shoulder. Clearly, something _did _happen - but from her reaction, she wasn't going to open up.

"Hey, hey, it's fine. Forget I asked." Dropping the subject was probably my best move. "So, um… how… how _ did _ you survive that storm?"

"I… honestly, I don't remember much about it…" Like her arm, she felt defensive about it - and it felt like, it wasn't that she couldn't remember… she just didn't want to talk about it. And while I decided to let it be, I wondered just what happened to her that fateful day, when that storm struck.

* * *

_After almost a year at sea, I'd gotten used to sleeping through water rocking the boat, and rain pounding the cabin. It was the thunder - loud and sharp as a whip's crack - that woke me up. Instinctively, I headed up to the deck, where a scene I could only describe as a nightmare was unfolding. _

_ Howling winds and thundering rain swept all around me, stirring the waters below and bringing wave after wave down upon the ship. A bolt of lightning that struck too close for comfort showed the sheer scale of them, easily towering over us. A part of me knew that if we didn't get away from this storm soon, we'd all go down. _

_Through the buffeting winds and waves, I could hear Mama and Papa shouting orders to each other. It was obvious what they were doing; steering the ship to safety.  
_ _And I wasn't going to let them do it alone._

_ My hand found the guide rail and I slowly moved along it to the main deck, until a huge wave threw me to the side of the cabin walls. _

_ "Argh!" I yelped from the pain shooting across my body, and through the thunder, a pair of feet - Papa's - rushed towards me.  
_ _"You! What the hell are you doing up here?!"_

_ "Helping you!" We had to yell just to hear each other. "I'm your first mate after all!"  
_ _He gave me a stern look, before reaching out his hand. I accepted it and he pulled me up. "Fine! Come over when you get your bearings!" He ordered, before returning to post. After a few seconds for the world to at least become even, I started to make my way to the deck again._

_Just as the ship started to crest what felt like a mammoth wave, and I was sent back to the cabin walls. Once more in a daze, I stumbled out._  
_Just as lightning struck the cabin, tearing those walls apart. Instinctively, my arm rose to protect myself from the worst of the shrapnel of the walls - and screamed as huge chunks and splinters smashed against it, making me recoil and lose balance._  
_Just as the force of the wave and lighting tipped the boat further than I ever felt it go. All it took was a misstep on that soaked deck to send me flying again. My battered arm slammed into the safety rail, followed by the rest of my body - sending me and a large chunk of ship overboard. When I hit the freezing water below, all my senses shut off, as adrenaline shot through me and instinct took over. _

Breathe. _ I rose to the surface._  
Breathe. _ Air filled my winded lungs. _  
Breathe. _ My body flailed aimlessly. _  
Breathe. _ Through the waves and unceasing darkness, I lost sight of the boat. _  
Breathe. _ I called out to Mama, to Papa - but the howling winds made it feel useless. _  
Breathe. _ Another flash of lightning. I couldn't see the boat, but nearby... _  
Breathe. _ A floating piece of debris! If I could swim over to it I could save some energy._  
Breathe. _ My arm was near useless, but slowly, both me and it drifted closer together._  
Breathe. _ I grabbed onto the wreckage with my good hand and pulled myself on top._  
Breathe. _ My whole body was shivering. From the cold. From the pain in my arm._  
Breathe. _ Another flash of lightning. Mama and Papa, and the boat, were now surely lost in the maelstrom._  
Breathe. _ I held on to the debris for dear life._  
Breathe. _ I kept trying to think, to look for the ship, but… It was cold. So cold.  
_Breathe. _I closed my eyes for a few minutes. I needed the rest._

_ By the time I opened them, the storm had eased and the sun was breaking through calmed skies. Even through blurred eyes and numbing pain, I… I never thought the sunrise could be so… beautiful. _

_ I closed them again, and this time, when I opened them, there were no open skies or boundless seas, or aches in my body - instead, I saw harsh white walls on the horizon, and wires and tubes crossing every which way. I tried to get myself up, but my whole body just felt so… _ heavy_. _

_"_Señorita?_"_ _A voice - a man's - coming from my… right? I think? "_Como você está se sentindo?_" He asked…? I had no idea what he was saying, the words made no sense._

_ "Where… where am I?" I asked back, hoping he'd understand. The man only frowned in reply. "W-where is… this place? Where's… Mama? And Papa? Are they… safe?" I wanted… no, I _ needed _answers. But he was struggling to understand what I was saying. And though I could feel he was trying to calm me down, there was no way I could make sense of his words - which made me more worried. _

_ Finding out where I am, what happened to my family… it was going to be tough. _

* * *

This wasn't going well at all. Asking about that storm and her arm, both of which provoked a cagey response… I'm probably making her uncomfortable. She's my best friend! I… I mean, she _was _my best friend… either way, I shouldn't be making her feel like this! "You, I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't realise it would've been a hundred times worse for you."

"Don't sweat it, Chika!" You accepted the apology, a bit too readily for my liking. "I guess I haven't really thought about all that for… for a very long time." Her eyes slowly moved away as she drifted back into silence, and I knew, despite what she said, it bothered her. "So, ah… what, happened with you since I left? Bet school must've been boring without me, right?"

"Well… I guess it was. But when you, um, died…" _ 'That felt so weird to say.' _"I… kinda stopped going for a while." _ 'A while' _didn't do it justice, either.

After I learned the news from Mr Matsuura, I… essentially became a shut-in. I stayed in my room all day, every day, curled up in bed - drowned in thought about the friend I had lost. The school gave me and Kanan a few weeks to mourn and grieve. She came back in that time, still shaken, but I had hardly moved or talked in that time.  
In other words, I was in a very bad place.  
Between then, and Riko moving to Uchiura - and my eventual recovery (if I could call it that) - I was home-schooled by my family. The school also brought in a tutor to make sure I kept up with my education, and Kanan and my friends often came round to help me. But it did nothing for my mood, at all. They tried to find fun things for us to do, and I had zero interest in anything they put forward. And that went on for… months, I think.  
Yeah. That's how bad a place I was in.  
After Riko came and I slowly found myself in a better place, I came back to school - but the things she and I did were vastly different to what I did with You. We still went diving with Kanan from time to time, but our interests were in other things such as her music, or sightseeing, or whatever relaxing activity she suggested. Not so much on the active hobbies such as swimming, like You was into. I guess they weren't as fun without her.

As I told her about life after she left, I began thinking about what I've been through in those years. All those years where I couldn't - or didn't want to - do anything, and only someone new, with new ways of doing things, being able to help me.  
What You could've been through in that same time. How she acted almost hostile when I first came to the pool. Her defensiveness when I tried to find out how she survived. How she came back to Japan from Portugal, after her family boat sunk to the bottom of the sea. What that long journey did to her, both physically and mentally.  
And as I thought and wondered, she replied to my story with something that shook me. Something I never realised before now.

"Wow… You sure have changed, huh?" I couldn't do anything but agree with her. She was right. Since You left, since she… I've changed. I've changed a lot, in those years.  
And You must have changed in that time as well.

"We're… not the same people we used to be, aren't we?" I asked her. It was the truth. A hard truth to accept, but one I had to accept.

"I guess not." She sighed, with a resigned and almost bitter tone. Maybe she wanted this to be a perfect reunion, where we hugged it out, cried a little and reignite our bonds where she left them. But now, that simply wasn't possible. "But that means we can learn about each other again!"

"Huuh?!" Okay, that took me by surprise. Especially the way she said it - in a cheerful manner with bright sunny eyes, the perfect opposite to her mood just _seconds _ago.

"I mean, you and this Riko girl obviously got up to a lot of stuff, and I picked up a few tricks while I was sailing! Maybe we can get together and learn what we got up to these last few years! It'll be just like old times!" Her enthusiasm reminded me of the girl I knew all those years ago. But it felt so… _ forced_. Like she was holding back her true feelings.

_ 'Just like old times?' _ I mean, yeah, that would be nice, but she said - and I agreed - we both changed in the years she was gone. Turning back the clock to those days… I just couldn't do that.  
Not after all the hurt I've gone through.

"Yeah, erm… I mean, I'd like to catch up with you, but… I don't think…" Oh god, I don't want to break her heart - and I could feel tears pushing against my eyes. "I don't think I can go back to where we were before… before you left.  
"You were… I mean, you've been my best friend for… my whole life, basically. And when I heard about the storm, and when you… you died… I was crushed. I felt like my whole world fell apart. Hell, it _did_ fall apart, I just told you about it. It felt horrible - _I_ felt horrible. And it was only when Riko came to Uchiura that… that I began to feel _something_ like a normal person again.  
"I… am _so_ _happy_ to see you here, alive, You. I am _so_ happy that you survived. And I would love to know about all the things you've seen and done on your sailing adventure. But - please, don't be mad, but… I _can't_ go back to how it was before. I _can't_ go back to those days where I felt _nothing_ but pain and sorrow over losing you. I'm… more than happy to reconnect with you, You. I really want to. But _please_, don't make me go back there, because I _can't_!" I heard my own voice rising near the end of my, erm… rant? Would be a good word for it? But it felt like I had to say that, to make her understand how I felt about her death, and _that_ time after. I couldn't bear it, and just _thinking_ about it again… crying was a very real probability.  
If I hadn't started already.

"Yeah…" You looked - and sounded - absolutely stunned. I tried to read her mind as she found a response, but it was tough - she managed to mask her feelings well. "Yeah… no, you're right, it can't… it can't be the same between us, can it? I mean, I always thought that, when I got back home, everything between us would just… fall together again. That we'd pick up where we'd left off, and be the inseparable pair we were again.  
"I never thought I would get stuck in a storm, and get stuck halfway across the world. Even so, I wanted - more than _anything _ \- to get home and see you and Kanan again. I… I wanted things to be back how they were before I left on that trip! I… went through so much, that when I got back I _wanted _a normal life again! For us! I _ never _gave up on us, no matter how _tough _things got for me!  
"I waited _so long _for this moment, and I _ wanted _it to be _perfect _for us when it happened! But… but _you _couldn't wait for that, could you? You just _ had _ to ruin it for us!"

"_Wh-what?!_" Where the hell did _that _come from? I could feel some tension rise in her, but I _ never _expected her to turn aggressive like this.

"I _ know _you suffered when you learned about what happened to me, and I _ feel _for you. I really do. But I _ bet _there was a tiny part of you that thought I was okay, and coming back to you, right? So why did you go and forget all about me when your precious Riko showed up?"

"You, listen, please! I didn't forget ab-" _ 'Oh, god, this is all going wrong!'  
_"_No_, Chika! Listen to me!" This wasn't like her at all; she was _really_ starting to scare me. "I don't _care_ about the fact you went through hell and back! I _care_ that you went through it for _me_! That you _wanted_ to think I was okay! That I was still out there, and coming home to you! That you still had a place for me when I came back - not for you to give it all up for some _stupid_ _city_ **_bitch._**" She said that last part with real venom.

Now it was my turn to be shocked by a rant. And a proper rant too. I knew she was after that perfect reunion. That moment we met each other's gazes, and the world would reform around us again. To be back in those days of eternal sunshine. But for me, those days are long gone now. And after those dark times… I could _never _go back to them, even if I had to.

You - who must have suffered so much in that time - wanted this to go right for her. She wanted at least _something _to go as she wanted it to. But I couldn't give her that, and now (I think) all that frustration and pain she built up over those long years is flooding out of her - down onto me.  
"I… I think I need to be alone right now." The girl turned away from me and sat back down by the water in a huff. Her mood soured dramatically in the last few minutes.

"You…?" I tried to find a way to salvage this mess I made, but…  
"Please, Chika, just _ go_!" She barked, not even looking my way. My feet moved a few steps back automatically before my body turned and ran out of the pool. Away from my childhood… no, away from the _ghost _of my childhood friend. That's what she was now. I was desperately holding back tears this whole time, but now… now I couldn't stop them trickling down. But I couldn't break down here. I _needed_ to get out of here.

There were figures standing outside, likely waiting for me. I knew they were my friends and were worried for me, probably wanting to comfort me. But they couldn't help me with this… or maybe this was something I had to deal with, myself. So I ran straight past them, and despite their pleas, went into the nearest room I could see. I quickly shut the door behind me and slumped down to the floor, back against the heavy wood.

And I started to cry. Huge, ugly sobs wracked my body. I finally released all the heavy emotions that had built up inside me, over You.

You…

Yes, You _is_ alive. But the You I grew up with… my childhood friend, with whom I shared so many days of love and happiness…  
_That_ You died in the storm, all those years ago.


	11. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 9

I didn't know where I was in this academy, or what was going on with the others - or if I even cared about any of that. All that mattered to me, at this moment, were the tears and sobs flowing out of me. A stream of sorrow, its source much too close to my once again broken heart to stop it.

Broken once again by my childhood friend, You.

You… who died so long ago…  
It felt like I had lost her all over again.

It was mere minutes ago… really? Just minutes ago? Just the thought sent a new wave of anguish over me.  
Mere… minutes, ago, I had learned - and found out for myself - she had survived a terrible storm in Europe, years ago. A storm in which she died. Somehow, by some miracle, she had managed to pull through it and survive - and make her way back to Japan. And now she's here. And I've talked to her. But she…

That was not the You I knew. But I guess I should have expected it.

Before… the two of us were unstoppable, never sharing a sad moment, or falling out over… anything. We were probably the closest thing to soulmates. It was perfect between us - laughter, and smiles, and sunshine.

Then we saw each other, from across the room. Everything about her looked the same from those days. But beneath that… she had changed. A lot. She still held a positive outlook, but now it felt forced, rather than free. When I tried to discover more about her journey, she held back - something she never did with me before. And when I tried to find a place for us again, I saw a side to her that I never knew existed.

A side to her that harboured years of suffering, and a side she unleashed on me.

_"I waited _so long_ for this moment, and I _wanted_ it to be _perfect_ for us when it happened! But… but _you_ couldn't wait for that, could you? You just _had_ to ruin it for us!"_

_"_W-what?!_" Where the hell did that come from? I could feel some tension rise in her, but I _never_ expected her to turn aggressive like this._

_"I _know_ you suffered when you learned about what happened to me, and I _feel_ for you. I really do. But I _bet_ there was a tiny part of you that thought I was okay, and coming back to you, right? So why did you go and forget all about me when your precious Riko showed up?"_

_"You, listen, please! I didn't forget ab-" '_Oh, god, this is all going wrong!'  
_"_No_, Chika! Listen to me!" This wasn't like her at all; she was _really_ starting to scare me. "I don't _care_ about the fact you went through hell and back! I _care_ that you went through it for _me_! That you _wanted_ to think I was okay! That I was still out there, and coming home to you! That you still had a place for me when I came back - not for you to give it all up for some _stupid city **bitch.**_" She said that last part with real venom._

Those words she threw at me, with such anger and hatred… it was like nothing I had ever heard before, in my life. Words born out of frustration, a selfish part of her screamed at me like a rabid animal. Blaming me for moving on and accepting her death, finding solace and comfort in…  
Did she call Riko a… a… what the _hell?!_

Yeah, I know I may have made her uncomfortable with my questions, and upset her by refusing to go right back to where we were. But still! Riko's my best friend! She's done so much for me when I was… heck, I told You about what she's done for me! If she still cared about me then she'd be _happy_ to know I was fine because of her. Maybe she'd even get close to her. Not call her a… saying that kind of thing about her… it was just, _wrong_.

I think it was then I knew, that the You I had just met… was not the one I knew. And anger over her treatment of Riko, now, was mixing in with the familiar ocean sonatas and my sorrow - somehow, it helped to stem my tears. Slowly, slowly… I had calmed down, save the occasional sob.

"_Jeez_, sounded like you really needed that." Someone in front of me said, slightly annoyed.

"Heh?" I was still a bit woozy from that tearful episode, so I could only clearly tell the speaker's red eyes and jet black hair. She looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't place where from.

"Well, you barged in here, slammed the door and started to cry your heart out. And as much as I tried to get you to stop, you just kept on going!" I barely even noticed her before now - was I that wrapped up in myself? I wiped away the last of the wetness in my eyes, finding the girl's hand stretched towards me. _'That answered that.'_ "C'mon, it's gotta be cold down there."

"Thanks." I took it warily - she seemed nice, but kind of like trouble if I cross her - and soon I was back on my two feet, able to get a better look at this girl.  
The first things I noticed were the crimson hair ties holding up her pigtails, shining and glittering and bringing out the colour on her eyes. The effect gave her a dazzling appearance, especially with her outfit - an extravagant pink, red and white stage dress. She looked like a superstar, but her moody expression and sour tone bore stark contrast to this image.

"So, ah, not that I _mind_ the attention, but are you gonna tell me who you are? Or are you just gonna keep staring at me?"

"Oh! Yeah! Um…" The way she dragged me out of my thoughts into the real world reminded of Maki. Sharp and honest. "I… I'm Chika Takami, and-"  
"Okay, stop. Can you even call that an introduction?" There was that sharp tone again.  
"Huh?"  
"Look, you're stammery and nervous. I get that, but it's making you sound _boring _\- and that wins over no-one. Deep breaths." She started breathing, and, well, forced me to follow. "There. Now, start over, but believe in everything you say, okay? Otherwise, don't bother."

"Alright." I took another deep breath and took her advice to heart. _'Believe in everything I say.'_  
"My name is Chika Takami." It's funny how your mindset can change a lot - I felt my voice come out more confidently than before. "I'm from a small seaside town called Uchiura, and I help my family manage their inn. I, may not actually know my talent, but… I want to find out what it is, with everyone's help! I want to find my own way to _shine_!" This was possibly the best introduction I've given to someone so far. She had a wide grin on her face, and it filled me with a strange sense of pride.  
For about three seconds. Because she then burst into laughter.

"Err…" I had no idea what brought this about. If I had made a joke, then I didn't realise it. "Was my introduction any good?"

"Was it any good? Chika, that was absolute shit! " _'Wow. Thanks.'_ "It's like you don't even believe in that dream of yours, to find out that talent and shine! Here, I'll show you how, but pay attention! I'll only do this once ." The girl turned away as she spoke, cool and composed despite her giggling just moments before. I wondered what kind of show she was going to do.  
And it clicked. Who this girl is.

_'A show… she's either a performer or an idol. Which means…!'_

I only saw a few pictures and videos of her, but now, I know exactly who she is.

"_Ni-co Ni-co Nii!_ I'll put a smile in your heart with a _Nico Nico Nii!_ I'm Nico Yazawa, here to make the whole world go _Nico Nii!_ What's this? A 'Killing Game?' No, no, no! I'd much rather play a happy game, _Nico!_  
"There. You get all that?"

This was Nico Yazawa. The Ultimate Idol. Everything I've seen about her online, the videos and pictures… they didn't do her any justice.

"Yeah… that was incredible." There was only room in my mind for sheer awe.

"Of course it was. As you'd expect from everyone's number one idol _and_ six-time _Love Live!_ finalist." Nico brushed her hair aside with a smug, almost superior, expression on her face. I didn't blame her. After all, making six Love Live finals is outstanding… if I knew what it was.

"Yeah… um, Nico? What _is_ the Love Live?" The shock on her face was clear.

"You don't know what _Love Live!_ is? It's only the biggest school idol competition in the world! I thought everyone knew about it - but then again, you _are_ a country girl, so it's not a big surprise." _'Again, wow, thanks.'_ "Every six months, the best high school singers and performers across the globe come over to the Akiba Dome - in Tokyo - to compete for the title of _Love Live!_ Champion. I've made it to these finals, _each_ and _every_ time."

"So, you've made it to these finals six times straight?"

"Of course! First person to do so, actually." Again, her smug face shone through.

"That's amazing, but…" If she made it to six finals, then - by her own admission… "you've never actually won a Love Live, right?" Her face and composure dropped faster than a rock; it seems I hit a nerve.

"W-W-We-Well, i-it's not like I-I haven't won, but… more like I gave them a chance to be stars! B-Besides, it's not like _you_ could ever get past even the first round, right?" There was no reply from me. Partly because Nico could actually be right, and partly because her aggression was such a shift from the cutesy act she uses on stage. "Yeah, didn't think so. Now, I wanna get back to my music, so if you could do me a favour and piss off, that'd be great." She picked up a guitar on the table and went back to a chair in the corner, not once looking my way.  
Looks like this conversation is over.

I took a quick look around the room before I left - it was a music room, judging by the grand piano and various instruments. Now back in the corridor, I took a moment to reflect on both the idol and my current state.

Firstly, I felt a lot better now than when I came in there. I was nowhere near as broken-hearted as I am now. Then again, I was an utter mess, so any improvement was a win. There was still a hint of sadness around my mind, over You, but that was now mostly over how she treated Riko than… having lost her again.

Nico also gave me something to think about. Before I arrived at Hope's Peak, everything I've heard about her was so magical. So sweet. So wonderful.  
That image got shattered into a million pieces just now.

The girl in the music room may have had glimpses of that sweet and charismatic idol, who had the worship and love of so many fans - but if those fans saw what I did, their dreams would be crushed. She was vain, she was rude, and remarkably quick to put me down. A part of me felt she was dangerous, especially if I irritated her again. And dealing with her was almost certainly going to be frustrating, just like how I was now. Frustration.

Better add that to the list of things I've felt today. Towards the others, to the school, to Monokuma and this… killing game.  
Sorrow. Anger. Happiness. Excitement. Confusion. Fear. Anxiety. Hope. Despair.  
I needed a distraction to take me away from all these conflicting emotions. Thankfully, an orange-haired one came running towards me, calling my name out.

"CHIIIKAAAAA!"

Honoka crashed into me at full force and trapped me in her embrace - once again, the sheer impact of it sent us down to the ground. Good. I didn't want to move. Riko and Kanan, who followed behind her, had other ideas, however, and picked us both up off the floor.

"Are you okay, Chika?" Riko asked me, looking worried. "You seemed pretty worked up earlier." I could only nod in response. She was probably talking about how I was after meeting You. "Want to go back to your dorm room?" I nodded again. The pianist put my hand in hers, and we wound through the corridors back to a door with my name on it. Within a few minutes, we were all inside the dormitory. I immediately perched myself on the bed, and Riko and Honoka chose to sit by my side while Kanan pulled up a chair.

"She's here." I said, after a long silence. Riko's arm immediately wrapped around mine, and I leaned into her. "You's here, but… she's changed." Kanan moved in closer and grabbed my free hand, saying sweet nothings and reassurances. They knew what had happened, by the looks of things, and were comforting me, helping me through.

"Wait, wait… You's changed?" Honoka asked, understandably - the only time she would've known her is here. Riko too, although she's heard stories about her, from us.

God, I've never even thought about that. How she'd react to meeting You. But to be fair, I wasn't expecting all this to happen.

"Yeah." The diver responded. "It's like she's a different person, from before."

"Before? Like, from before we got here?" A solemn nod was her reply.

"I've only met her today too, Honoka." Riko chipped in. I zoned out at that point, knowing where this would go - to the pain, and the loss, and the darkness. My head rested on her shoulder, gently cradling me. Exhaustion was setting in now. Emotional exhaustion. Physical exhaustion. It's been a very long day, and it's started to take its toll on me.

Maybe… if I just closed my eyes for a few minutes… I'll feel better…

Mmm…

Riko's so comfy…


	12. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 10

Honoka: Hang on a sec. You's _dead_?!

Kanan: Yeah. Well, I mean, she _was_ dead. It was about four years ago now, when she and her family set out to-

Honoka: Whoa, whoa whoa! You can't just tell me she's dead like that! I mean, is she like some kind of superhuman? Or maybe… maybe she's an imposter!

Kanan: She's no imposter. I just _know _it's her. Chika too, I guess.

Honoka: Then, maybe she's a zombie? Or… oh! Is she a water vampire now? I _bet_ she's a water vampire!

Riko: Honoka…

_She gave her a wicked glare._

Riko: No. Just, no.

Kanan: Haha, I don't _think_ she's undead. But I'll keep it in mind, in case I find bite marks on me and start acting weird. Anyway, You left Uchiura with her parents to sail around the world and see the sights. Then, somewhere around Portugal, their ship ran into a storm… and was completely wrecked. The rescue teams, couldn't find their bodies.

Honoka: … Oh.

Riko: If I'm right, you said they were still looking when I moved in.

Kanan: But it's been years since then… if the bodies were still out there, they'll be long gone now…

_There were a few moments of silence, as the diver looked over to Chika. She had moved into Riko's body, her head nestled in her shoulder._

Kanan: You's death really hit us hard. Chika especially. The two of them were such close friends - it was tough when she left, and, well…

Riko: Chika was broken by her loss.

Kanan: She was a ghost of the person she was before. Even now, I think a part of her died with her that day.

Honoka: Oh… that's so awful. I guess seeing You today, alive and… well, _alive_, was a huge shock.

Kanan: It sure was. When Chika fainted this morning after Monokuma showed up, she tried to get to you two, I guess to help. That's when I saw her. And I _knew_ \- she had survived.

Riko: When Maki gave her the all-clear and she was safe, Kanan and I went to the pool to meet her. All I knew about You was what you and Chika told me about her. Someone who more than matched Chika's energy and enthusiasm, and always had a keen smile on her face.

Kanan: Basically, someone like you, Honoka. You actually reminded me of her a little, when we met.

Riko: But when we found her…

Honoka: She wasn't anything like that, was she?

_Both Riko and Kanan gave a solemn nod._

Kanan: She still had some cheer in her, but it felt so… _forced_, you know? Like she was trying to hide how much she hurt. It was like… trying to reach out to a ghost.

Riko: And I couldn't tell if it was because I was a stranger to her, but she seemed rather, um, mean, to me.

Honoka: But maybe she didn't really know you, and wanted to trust you more before being nicer to you. Like with Kanan, and- Oh! Chika! What was she like for you?

_There was no reply from the orange-haired girl on Riko's shoulder._

Honoka: …Chika?

_She gently poked her cheek, looking for a response._

"Nngh… Riiikoooo… get your own orange… this one's mine…"

_The pianist turned red as a tomato, while Kanan and Honoka burst out in giggles._

Honoka: Aww! She fell asleep!

Kanan: Haha, she must've been exhausted after talking to You!

Riko: Yeah. But I guess it's no surprise today… why don't you guys go and see if the others need any help? I'll stay with Chika and let her rest.

Kanan: Sure. Want me to get you an orange before we go?

Riko: _Kanan!_

_Another round of giggles from Honoka and Kanan ensued, and Riko promptly scowled them out of the dorm. The two of them walked together back to the Entrance Hall, but the ginger still had something on her mind._

Honoka: Hey, Kanan? There's still something that's bothering me. Before lunch, and when we left to meet everyone, you asked me to stop Chika before she met You.

Kanan: Yeah. I knew she was going to run into her at some point, and I knew it was going to be rough for her when she did. I didn't really want her to face it alone. And I know you're also going to ask me this as well - I didn't tell Chika about her being here because… well, this was one of those things you have to find out yourself.

_She came to a stop just before the foyer doors._

Kanan: I guess, I just wanted to stop Chika from getting hurt. That's… always been a problem of mine. I care about my friends _too_ much sometimes. I almost lost my best friend Mari over it - I tried to stop her from hurting herself and almost pushed her into leaving the country.

Honoka: Heehee! Caring isn't much of a problem at all! You've got a really big heart, Kanan! Maybe sometimes you get a bit carried away with helping them out but, I think, you always do things for the right reasons! That's what matters, and I think that's why Mari turned around and stayed!

Kanan: Actually, she-

Honoka: Now, come on! We've gotta go back and help Eli and Dia and the others out!

_The ginger left a speechless Kanan and sprinted to the Entrance Hall._

Kanan: Oh, Chika. How do you always bring the best people to you?


	13. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 11

"Heeeey, Chika. Wakey, wakey…" Riko's familiar voice barely reached my ears, calling me back to the real world. But… I'm still tired…  
Just a little longer…

"Nngh… let me sleep, Riko… maths is boring anyway…" It'll be fine…

"Hehehe. Get up, you dork. You're not even in a classroom."

"Uuuh…?" My eyes flickered open, finding a smiling auburn-haired pianist in my face - and no classroom. Instead, I was in the boring dormitory room I found myself in this morning. "R-Riko? Did we… skip class?" My brain slowly caught up with what happened before I fell asleep. "No… I'm an idiot. How long was I sleeping? And… where are the others?"

"You've been out for a few hours, sleepyhead." Riko explained. "And Kanan and Honoka went back to help out at the Entrance Hall - but that was a while ago, so they could be anywhere by now."

"Mmm… thanks." I slowly got up and started moving around, feeling more awake. "Sorry I crashed in front of everyone."

"Hey, it's alright. You must've been exhausted after what happened today, and talking with everyone. Some of them - definitely Nico, and Mari - they're real characters."

"Yeah." Calling Nico a character was most certainly true. "I think there's one or two left I have to talk to… the one who cooked lunch for us, and… her friend."

"Ahh, Hanayo." Riko seemed to know who I was thinking about. "She's shy and reserved, but really nice. You'll probably find Rin with her as well. She's brimming with energy like Honoka - you'll like her a lot." She finished, just as I heard the door opening and someone coming in.

"Heeeey, sleepin' mikan." That was Kanan. "You feeling better now after that nap?" She asked.

"Yeah, thanks. Sorry I fell asleep in the first place."

"It's okay! Rin-Pana said dinner's gonna be ready in about half an hour. Current plan is for everyone to eat together, but I reckoned you'd be hungry. Here!" She threw over some oranges to me and Riko. It wasn't long before I tore off the skin and placed a chunk of it into my mouth.

"_Mmmm! It's so sweet! Thanks, Kanan!_" Riko shot me a dirty look and I didn't know why, until I realised I just said all of that with a mouth full of sweet orange. I slapped a hand against it to keep it all in - which made her scowl even more. At this point I decided to finish my orange before trying to talk again. Kanan beat me to it, though, and asked me about what happened with… You, at the pool.

"You kinda ran right past us when you came out of the Pool, and dived into Nico's lair. Add that to Honoka thinking you were crying, and whatever happened in there can't have been good, right?"

"Besides, after the last few years, you know bottling up about it isn't going to help." Riko added.

"Well…"

Damn, she's got me. I really, really didn't want to talk about it- especially with what You said about Riko. But I just couldn't fight against her point - when I started to open up my feelings to her, and Kanan, and the therapist… I really did start to feel better, in myself. I _knew_ talking about it would probably be best, even if it wasn't what I wanted.  
Knowing they'd keep asking if I dodged the topic, I decided to tell them everything that happened between me and You. Her defensive attitude about the storm, how she wanted things to be the way they were, how I couldn't give her that - and her sharp reaction to that. I held nothing back from them, and when I finished, Kanan and Riko looked stunned.

"Woah… that must've been rough." Kanan said. "You really said that to you?"

"Yeah. I think - no, I _know_ she's hurting inside about whatever happened to her out there, but… how could she _say_ that, after what I told her?"

"I, guess she was just frustrated, like you said. If it were me in that storm and I came back home, I'd want to reconnect with Mari and Dia so bad. And if I couldn't…" She trailed off, and I understood. If we had switched places - if I was lost halfway across the world instead of… You - then I'd be upset at her.  
Perspective really helps you understand things better.

"Hey, Riko. You okay over there?" The pianist hadn't said anything since I told them what happened, and there was a seething expression on her. Something you very rarely see on her.

"I'm fine, Chika. It's just… You was your _friend_. She _never_ should've said that about you - about me!" She was angry at her, which almost never happens. She often gets bossy, trying to make sure I was okay, but never angry. Honestly, angry Riko kind of _scares_ me.

"I know. She was wrong, and I'll try and fix it as soon as I can, but I know she's still a nice person. You'll really like her, if you give her a chance. Please, Riko. Trust me. If you give me a chance to turn her around, will you give her a chance?"

"Hmm… Alright. I'll give her a chance, then."

"You will?" I wasn't expecting her to agree so readily, though there was some reluctance. "I mean, I didn't expect you to trust me on this-"

"It's you, Chika. I'll always trust you! If you say You's a good person, then I'll try and get on with her. And from what you said about her before, I'm sure I will." Her wide smile had its own kind of radiance which I adored. Warm, and comforting. Like everything would be fine if I stuck with her.

"Wow, um… thanks."

"It's okay. So what do you want to do now? We could go to the Cafeteria and find Honoka and the others. Or do you want to meet Rin-Pana before we eat?"

I thought about it for a minute. It _would_ just be easier for me to meet up with Honoka again, but then again, it would also be rude to ignore the two I haven't met yet - and being friendly with everyone here would help immensely in… in a Killing Game.  
Meeting them now was probably the best move. Riko agreed, and we asked Kanan if she wanted to come along with us.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think we'd overwhelm them if it were all of us. Besides, I'd like to spend some time with Mari and Dia. Dangerous to leave those two alone." She joked.

"Yeah, that's fine." After what we just talked about, with You, she probably wanted their company. "We'll catch up with you later, then?"

"Of course!" Kanan responded eagerly. The three of us started to move again, and outside the dormitory, we said our farewells - Kanan went off to find her friends, while Riko and I headed to the Kitchen.

In the end, they were right. I felt much better having talked about it. That You and Riko could possibly get along here, something that felt like a pipe dream a short time ago…  
It gave me hope.


	14. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 12

The moment Riko and I walked into the Kitchen, my nose was struck with a beautiful blend of fragrances. Just with my sense of smell, I could feel the warmth of sweet jasmine rice, the heat of a hot pot packed with flavours… everywhere my head turned, the tastes of different foods crashed into me, making my mouth water.  
(Let's be honest, I could talk about food all day if I could. Heh heh heh.)

As I looked around, the centre counter was packed with plates and bowls, pots and pans - all filled to the brim with delicious offerings for us all, intricately laid out and prepared. Around the stoves and ovens came the sizzling and bubbling of even more dishes and sides being prepared, and the source of all these incredible sights and smells - two girls, working feverishly to create this culinary masterpiece.

"Rin-Pana!" Riko called out to them. "You guys need any help?"

"Ah, Riko!" The one with light brown hair seemed startled by her, the reaction helping me remember this girl's name - Hanayo. She was the one who made lunch. "Er, yeah, we could do with some help bringing this food out, if you don't mind." The pianist nodded and started to move some of the meals into the other room. "Erm…" She studied me through her glasses, before frowning. "Sorry, I don't think we've met."

"That's okay… it's Hanayo, right?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm Hanayo Koizumi, the Ultimate Chef. And this," She pointed out the ginger, who had come over to her side. "is Rin Hoshizora, my best friend and the Ultimate Athlete."  
"Hey, you're the one who passed out this morning aren't you, nya?" Rin abruptly asked me.

…  
"Yeah. Sorry if I scared you with that." I tried to play it cool, even though inside it hit a nerve. "Anyways, I'm Chika Takami, and… well, I don't really know what my talent is. But I hope, with everyone's help, I can find out what it is." This introduction didn't feel as impactful as the one I gave Nico, but the two of them seemed to react positively.

"Well, we'll certainly try and help with that, Chika."

"Yeah! We'll help you find out your talent!" Rin eagerly added. "Y'know, being in this place is horrible, but it's easier to face your problems head-on than run away from them, nyaa!~" She looked over to the door where Riko had come back, ready to collect more plates of food. "Hey, Kayo-chin. Do you need me to help Riko?"

"Err, yeah. There's still a few things I need to finish here, but Chika can help with that, if she's okay with it?" I agreed, and the ginger joined the pianist in moving dishes over to the next room. I've helped out with preparing food sometimes back at the inn, so this should be similar. As Hanayo instructed me over some noodles, she shyly adjusted her glasses. "I… I'm sorry if Rin seemed a bit too excited. She's often like that, but today she's been more lively."

"It's alright, Hanayo. Honoka's been around me all day, so it's really nothing. And, I guess Rin just wants to look out for you." I completely understood her too. We're forced into a… Killing Game, and I don't want her to get hurt. "So, ah… you two must be really close, then."

"Yeah, we are. We've been together nearly our whole lives, from kindergarten to school, to each of her races and now… here. When she got entered into the racing circuit and got a team around her, I signed on as her dietician. She's always been the superstar, and I want to do everything to make sure she's successful."  
My 'awws' were muffled by the boiling water. I could clearly see why Riko and Kanan called them Rin-Pana - they seemed totally inseparable. "You must really enjoy cooking, then."

"I do. Making all sorts of different meals and recipes is a lot of fun. I just…" She trailed off, looking back to her stove. "Never mind, I think everything should be ready by now. Could you drain off those noodles and put them in that bowl, please?"

"Um, sure." Hanayo had clearly changed the topic, but… if it was like, You, earlier, she probably didn't want to talk about it with me. So I dropped it and did as she asked, and when I was done, she brought her own pan over and poured its contents - some kind of cheese and egg sauce - over the noodles and mixed them together.

"It's a rice noodle carbonara." The chef explained. "I heard Kanan say Mari is part Italian, so hopefully she'll like this." She finished the dish with a garnish of herbs, as the others came back to collect the last of the food. "Here. Riko, Rin, you take these," Hanayo handed them two different fish dishes. "and Chika and I will take these." She gave me the carbonara and took another pasta dish for herself. "Thanks for all your help, guys."

"It's okay, Hanayo. Helping out is what we do here!" Both she and Rin shot smiles at me, and together, we took the last of the food out to the Cafeteria.

Like at lunch, the centre table was packed with the food and drinks Rin-Pana had prepared today. The other students were gathered around it, waiting for the feast to begin. Eli and Nozomi were chatting with each other, about what I couldn't tell. Kanan, Mari, and Dia, along with Maru and Ruby, were joking around - much to the elder sister's dismay. Umi and Kotori, along with Honoka, were taken in by Nico's idol act.

As I set the pasta down… caught between Yoshiko trying to recruit a flustered Maki into her demon squad…

I saw You. Very much looking like she didn't want to be here. Trying to avoid talking with anyone.  
Keeping to herself.

My heart panged at this sight. When we were kids, she'd probably have gone off and talked them all up, with a level of energy even Honoka would struggle to keep up with. But that was all gone now. She kept her harsh gaze low, not even looking to the others.

I already knew whatever happened to her in the last few years changed her. I just didn't know how much she had changed before now.  
You was like a completely different person.

"Okay, everyone! Dinner's ready, nya~!" Rin called out, snapping me out of those dark thoughts and bringing everyone round to the table. Honoka sidled up next to me and had me sit down, asking me about my latest adventure.

"Honoka, they were just in the other room." Umi quickly countered. "It really wasn't an adventure."

"But still! I bet it was super exciting!" I assured her it really wasn't, but decided to tell her while we ate. Soon we were all down at the table, the ginger and Riko by my side, and ready to eat. I gave one more look around the table and, unlike this morning, I could put a name to every face in this room. It felt much better to know them all, but another terrible thought hit me as we began eating.

If this is a… Killing Game, then it's possible… most of them could… could _die_.

I don't want any one of them to die.

"OH MY GOD CHIKA YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS, IT'S AMAZING!" Honoka burst out, loud enough for everyone to hear. I turned to her and asked what she was eating, to maybe get some for myself - but ended up with a spoonful of stew in my mouth.

She was right. It was utterly beautiful. That one mouthful had expertly crafted flavours which warmed my cool heart.  
But still! She just shoved hot stew into my mouth for pretty much no reason!

"Hehe, you need to stop worrying so much, Chika! It's all over your face!" She held a soft and warm smile to me, a light that drove out the darkness in my head, and it was clear why I was given that surprise taste of stew. I know she's the Ultimate Friend, but _how _is she so _good _at cheering me up? "Besides, weren't you gonna tell me about what you've been up to?" ("_Seconds, zura!_" echoed across the room.)

"Alright, alright. I'll tell." As I dished some of the carbonara into my bowl, I told her about my meeting with Rin-Pana - even though it wasn't that interesting (brief introductions and looking after noodles) she hung on every word I said, asking questions at the right times. Since I didn't learn much about Rin, apart from being an athlete, I asked Honoka about her.

"Oh, kitty cat Rin-chan? Yeah, I've heard she's a world-class marathon runner. She's got tons and tons of energy and can keep up with and beat almost anyone else, even when they've had years and years of training!"

"I really admire her attitude, too." Riko added, as she made work on a Thai curry. Well, my nose told me it was a Thai curry anyway. "She seems a bit impulsive and rash at times, but the level of work and dedication she puts into her races is very respectable."

"I know, right?" Like with the other Ultimates, just learning about her skills left me in awe, and wondering what special talent hides behind the '?' I was given. I carried on eating as Honoka and Riko talked on about Rin-Pana and the food they prepared, occasionally chipping in with odd comments. As it continued, the topic drifted to Honoka and what she got up to after I… took a nap. She had gone back and helped with the pulley at the Entrance Hall, until she said they 'hit a snag.'

"Hmm? What kind of snag?" I asked. Any snag wasn't good, but I felt it was better to know if it was a small setback, or something bigger.

"_Weeelllll_… we kinda can't get the wood to stick together with the ropes we have. We called Maru over, and she reckons we're gonna have to start cutting the wood to make it fit. Only we can't do _that _right now either because we can't find any tools for woodworking."

"Oh." I quickly looked around, but nobody seemed interested in our chat. That pulley was probably our best way out of this prison. And now… we've been pushed back to square one.  
"Yeah, it sucks we can't move on with it, but hey-ho! We'll find another way outta here!" She kept her usual chipper attitude despite the bad news, and it was clear to us she was a truly positive force of nature - not letting anything get her down.

Eventually, the food so lovingly prepared by Hanayo was all relocated into eighteen stomachs, happy sighs filling the room from each of them. The power of a good meal was in clear view - everyone was satisfied and talking together (again, I noticed You trying her best to avoid conversation) - it was like we were all very good friends. Rin-Pana quickly gathered up the empty dishes and moved them back into the Kitchen, and when they came back, Eli and Dia grabbed everyone's attention for another meeting, to catch up with what happened today.  
This crazy day.


	15. Chapter 1: Daily Life Part 13

"Okay, everyone." Eli's calm yet strong voice pierced through the Cafeteria, and all the friendly chatter started to die down. We all looked to her and Dia - who became our leaders here - and both seemed to be visibly stressed. But if today was anything to go by, I wasn't going to blame them for feeling like that.  
"I… I'm not going to sugar coat this. This has been a _rough_ day. For all of us. And we're _all_ in _real_ trouble." These harsh words, true to each letter, sent a shiver down our spines. "I know, we're all strangers here, we have no reason to trust each other, but… that we've all managed to work together today, and tried to find a way out of this… _thank you_." The jovial atmosphere dried up as she finished, and Dia put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The blonde promptly sat down again, and the older Kurosawa took over.

"Everyone. This situation is far from ideal, but my father and my friends taught me that every hurdle we face can be overcome, through hard work, determination and cooperation. Today, we have all shown these qualities - and I believe it is only a matter of time before we defeat this Monokuma and escape this prison." She spoke powerfully. I already knew she was shrewd, from working with her family business, but it inspired me, at how well she crafted her words - eloquent, and impactful. "The key to our victory is preparation, so we should use this opportunity to-"  
"When are we going to have these meetings?" Maki interrupted. "It's possible we could be free from here tomorrow, but Monokuma's made sure we couldn't escape easily. Whatever happens, we need to be ready to make and adapt our plans, both in the short- and long-term."

"Ahh… how about, every morning then, at breakfast?" We all agreed with Dia's suggestion. It made sense, too. Everyone would want to eat when they woke up, so we'd all be together to share any news. "Excellent. As I said before, we should make a report on everything that's happened today, so we can discuss our plans for tomorrow.  
"Ruby, Eli, Kanan, Umi, Kotori, Honoka and myself investigated a possible lead towards opening up the vault door over the Main Entrance."

"And you totally failed, riiiight?" A haunting voice, so disturbing, yet so eerily familiar. I didn't even need to turn around to where it came from, to know who it belonged to. Monokuma began to cackle, and the more nervous among us gave out small shrieks. Ruby darted behind her sister, practically shaking in fear. "You must've thought that pulley was such a good idea when you came up with it too! Too bad it all fell apart when you tried it though!" We all stared at the bear, in a mix of fear and anger - and all he did was stare right back. "Oh, don't mind me, guys. Just thought I'd drop by and see what all the fuss was about." He grabbed a chair and put himself onto it, eagerly watching our next move - in a meeting about how to beat him and escape!

"Well, we're in a private meeting right now, so please, could you leave us alone?" Umi insisted, a hint of frustration on her calm voice.

"L-Leave? But, I just got here!" The archer stared right at Monokuma, whose creepy smile never wavered. I grew worried that he would strike back against her, but soon the bear relented. "Fine, fine." He jumped right off the chair and moped out of the Cafeteria. "_Sigh._ Kids these days, _never_ satisfied…"  
I silently admired her for standing up to him.

Eli managed to get everyone's attention back after that… _unwelcome_ interruption, but noted that Monokuma was right - the pulley system had failed, and they can't carry on until they find tools to shape the wood they found. "And even if we find them, if we make a mistake the wood we have now will be useless. Which means we'd need more materials for the pulley itself."

Everyone gave a dejected sigh as she finished. Dia tried to change the topic to see if there were any other leads we could use, but other than the strange photograph which nobody seems to know about, no one could bring up anything substantial.  
In other words… we were trapped here. Certainly for the foreseeable future at least.  
A silence fell over the table, interrupted by the doctor.

"Well, it's not like he had a reason to lie about it, anyway. In fact, everything he's told us so far has been proven true. We can't leave the Academy, and we can't contact anyone outside of here. Which means he has to be telling the truth about the Killing Game - in which case we have to plan around it." Her coolness was welcome, but the topic… it made it all so unnerving.

"But _Maaakiiiii_, why do we have to plan round _thaaaaaat_?" Honoka asked for all of us, in her typical, but muted, enthusiasm. No, we don't want to plan around it. But…

"Because, Honoka, there's a chance that one of us is going to be killed by another of us." She let the silence rest for a second. "We have to accept this, so we should talk about it."

A half-hearted "Yeah," came out of my mouth. Maki was right - we had to accept it, discuss it. But… none of us _wanted_ to. Death. Murder. It felt so… taboo. It didn't bother the redhead, though, who carried on talking.

"It's clear to me that Monokuma doesn't want to hurt or kill us, at least directly. He seems to want us to do that ourselves, and will give us motives to push us to do so."

"Motives?" Riko asked.

"Yes, like the one we received at lunch." Monokuma's offer echoed in my head as she reminded us of it. _'If you get a kill in the next forty-eight hours - then we'll skip the Trial and you can get straight out of here!'_ "I think he understands he can't force us to _do_ anything, so he'll give us these motives every so often. An extra incentive or reward to kill - in this case, our freedom.

"This isn't going to be the only one we'll get, either. He'll probably give us more over the next few days. Some will be like this one, and others more… direct, and chances are he'll keep throwing them at us until one of us kills - so he can have his Class Trials."

"Okay, stop." Nico interrupted the doctor, with a scowl drawn all over her face. "_My_ _god_, how can someone so pretty be such an annoying asshole?"

"Annoying? Excuse me? I'm trying to help you _and_ everyone else stay alive over the next few days."

"Yeah, yeah, keep preaching on about how _you're_ gonna be the saviour of this ragtag bunch of kids, who convinced us all to be decent human beings." We all just stared at her as she ranted. Even Maki, who seemed so cool and composed until now, was taken aback. "Look here, princess. No one here is going to kill. No one here is going to _be_ killed. Even _you_ said this 'motive' Monokuma gave us is pure cra-"  
"NICO! Language!"  
"-p." Dia snapped at her, but the idol simply ignored her and carried on. "Now, I bet everyone here is a good person, and good people don't kill each other - no matter how many of these motives he throws at us. So, yeah, we're in a Killing Game, it sucks ass, but it doesn't mean anyone's gonna get killed, right? So thanks, princess, for your 'expert diagnosis' of our situation, but we don't need it." Nico smugly sat right back down - she had completely shut the doctor down. "It's all gonna be fine. It's all gonna turn up _Nico_."

"Yeah!" Honoka practically sprung out of her seat. "We don't need to worry about anyone getting killed here cause we're all gonna be friends, right?" Her positivity spread across the table like the sparks that light a bonfire, basking us all in its warmth. This feeling touched us all, lifting our spirits and burning away our fears. This feeling did not touch one person, however. That person asked a question, with a voice I could instantly pick out of a crowd.

"What, you think we're gonna be all best friends here?" It had a colder edge to it than I remember, but it was still recognisable.

_You…?!_

"Err, yeah?" The ginger seemed confused. Surely friendship was the answer; it always was. And we were a nice bunch as well, I'm sure we'd all get along.

"Then either you're naive, or just an idiot." She replied, cutting deep into her energy, with icy words and a menacing glare.

"_Uwaaa?!_" Everyone turned to her, utterly shaken - especially Kanan, and especially me. All that was going through my mind at that moment was 'Where did that come from?!'

"There's no way everyone here's going to be friends with everyone else, and if you think there isn't going to be a killing, then you're only kidding yourself."

"B-but… everyone here is really nice! No one's going to… kill each other, and, and you know it!"

"Really? I knew lots of people who were nice as well, and they turned out to be horrible people. Do you think you can trust _anyone_ here? After Monokuma told us we'd have to kill each other? I bet some of you have even got it all planned out already. No, shut up." The argument never left Honoka's lips. "If you guys want to be buddies and all that, fine by me. Just don't get me involved. And don't cry when one of you turns up dead, okay?"

None of us could utter a word in response. In one fell swoop, the energy that Honoka and Nico built up was snuffed out - I imagined a cold wind blowing from You then. My god, how did she end up like this? Where had that sweet, smiling girl gone? It was like she couldn't see how we could work together, as a team. How we could live in hope, and happiness.  
It was like… she couldn't see the good in any of us. A far cry from the girl I knew.  
"This is pointless. I'm off." She got up and started to leave.

"Where are you going, You? We are _not_ done here." Dia barked at her, but she brushed her aside.

"Well, _I'm_ done." I felt Riko rush past me, and before You could leave she grabbed her arm, a furious expression on her face. She was in one of those moods where if she asked you something she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"Listen, You. Don't make everyone else suffer because you have. I don't know what happened in your life to make you like this, but-"  
"You're right." You caught her mid-sentence, pain(?) and a barely-concealed rage building in her tone. "You _don't_ know!"

I'm not even sure what happened next. There was a squeal, a crash, and I surely must have blinked, because now Riko was pinned to the ground by the sailor - who had her hands pressed to her neck!  
I darted up, wanting to help her, but fear kept me still. And quiet. Not a single eye could look away from this dramatic scene, and no voice rose to put it to an end.

"You _don't_ know what I've been through! You wouldn't even _begin_ to understand what happened to me! How… how much I've fucking _suffered_!" Her hateful tone gave way to something… disturbingly calm. "Tell me, Riko. How much have you suffered? Have you even _suffered_ before? Tell me, Riko." The pianist, pale as a ghost, didn't answer. "I'll take that as a no, then. Typical. Do you want to know how much it hurt me, then?"

"P-please… let m-me go…" She whimpered. Suddenly, my worst fear of the past two years - losing her - rose up. This fear, a beast that once controlled my life, threatened to take it over again.

"_Shut up, you bitch!_" You savagely pushed her back to the ground and tightened her grip around her neck, and horrible, broken sounds came from Riko's mouth. "You stole her away from me!" She tried to push her off, but her efforts were swept aside and You took both her hands in one of her own and moved them aside. "And I'm going to _take_ _her_ **_back_**." Her free hand went back to crushing her throat, and the pianist couldn't fight back any more. She cried, and choked, and her face was turning an unnatural shade of blue.

"YOU, STOP! _PLEASE!_" I cried out desperately, hoping she'd listen to me. A part of me, though, wondered if she'd even care right now. Her face was contorted in malice, and it seemed her mind was made up. She… she really _was_ going to kill her!

But she _did_ listen to me.

Instantly, her expression softened, and her grip loosened - and slowly, she moved off Riko and stood back up. The pianist, meanwhile, burst out in desperate breaths, save the occasional hacking cough. Our eyes met, mine filled with tears after that dramatic moment, and hers with… no, I couldn't tell if there was any regret. I wondered if she was going to take it back and help the pianist - but suddenly, she hardened up again and turned around.

"If _any_ of you _ever_ mess with me again, I'll kill you." Her threat hung heavy in the air as she walked out of the Cafeteria. We all instantly believed it.  
As soon as You had left, Maki and I rushed to Riko's side and helped her up. She was still retching over, and the doctor gently rubbed her back, easing her pain.

"Help me get her to the Infirmary." She ordered. I carefully put an arm around her, while Kanan came round and took the other. "Carefully, now. Don't agitate her too much." We followed Maki's instructions and it wasn't long before the pianist was upright again, although leaning heavily on us. Slowly, we walked out of the Cafeteria, to get her some proper treatment - but as we left, I caught Nico ask something out loud. And it got me wondering, too.  
Because You - or at least… the You I knew - she would never have done this. Or acted like this.

"_Jeez_. What the fuck is _wrong_ with her?"

* * *

Back in my dorm room, I lay down on the bed - staring at the ceiling and wondering to myself what just _happened_.  
Riko went back to her room after Maki gave her a clean bill of health. ("There may be some bruising, but other than that you should be okay.") We all decided to leave her for tonight, thinking she'd need some time to herself.  
Eli and Dia (and Ruby) caught up with us and told us that the meeting had quickly come to an end after… what happened, and that we'll make tomorrow's plans in the morning. Everyone else was going to bed for tonight, to get ready for the next day.

So… here I am. Lost in my thoughts.

Hope's Peak Academy, the school of our futures… now our prison.  
Monokuma, some kind of nightmarish creature, forcing us to… kill, each other…  
Behind him, sits the Mastermind, hiding in the shadows, playing with our lives like toys in a box...  
And, You… my childhood friend, back from the dead… barely like the girl I knew, and… she almost… Riko…

Sigh… It's a lot to take in for one day.

_*ding, dong, ding, dong*_

The school bell tolled out, and the robotic bear's voice echoed through the dorm room.

"Attention everyone, attention. This is a school announcement.

"The time is now ten p.m., and Night Hours are now in effect. During Night Hours, the Pool, Kitchen and Cafeteria areas are strictly off-limits, and water has been switched off to keep costs down. We may be government-funded but we still have to balance the books somehow!  
"While all of you are free to move around the Academy, please keep in mind that anyone you meet out there _may_ not be so… friendly. So I suggest you rest your tired eyes, and save your energy for tomorrow.  
"_Goooood_ night everyone! _Pleasant dreams_." A wave of static, and then, silence.

I rolled onto my side and forced my eyes shut. It was probably best to get some sleep, anyway. With everything swirling in my head I was worried I wouldn't be able to doze off, so I needed all the rest I could get.  
I went out like a light.


End file.
